In kids as young as six years old changes can be seen in the vessels of the eye that can predict heart disease later in life. These changes most often happen in overweight and obese children, and up until recently had only been noted in teenagers and adults. This widening of veins and narrowing of arteries could be explained by many factors (a heavy load in a heavier child, for example), but it seems worthwhile to monitor these changes closely to continue to assess heart disease risks as they do appear to be connected. It's scary to think that something as simple as an eye exam can be so foreboding for a six year old child!

Did you know that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of heart disease in your babys future? According to recent research, breastfed babies are calmer, gain less weight as they grow -- preventing obesity -- and experience lower blood pressure and cholesterol as adults -- all of which are protective against heart disease.

Researchers were also curious whether breastfeeding would raise a childs IQ, although their results show little connection. However, I would be willing to bet that breastfeeding a baby -- which fosters a certain loving attachment that is not quite the same as bottle-feeding -- would potentially raise a childs level of emotional intelligence. In this day and age, who couldn't use just a little more of that?

Following major accusations of responsibility for the rising child obesity epidemic and public scrutiny in the fast food chains role in creating an unhealthy and inactive America, the McDonald's Corporation has donated $2 million to a leading biomedical science institute to further research and programs intended to stop the problem.

One million will go to support health research at the La Jolla, California-based Scripps Institute -- and the other million will go toward currently unnamed outreach programs in under-funded schools and diabetes screening in poor neighborhoods. The Institute approached McDonald's for the partnership because they were impressed by McDonald's recent efforts to change -- eliminating the option of super size portions from its menu and promoting exercise and an active lifestyle in its current marketing campaign.

Finally a company willing to take responsibility for its own mistakes.

To maintain healthy heart function, it is important for adolescents to be ward off weight gain in the transition to adulthood. A recent study reports that adolescents who put on excess weight throughout their teen and early adult years are more likely to develop specific conditions, such as metabolic syndrome -- a precursor to heart disease -- by the time they turn 27.

Those teens who gained the most weight during the course of the study also experienced the largest increase in mass of the left ventricle of the heart -- its main pumping chamber -- a symptom that can lead to heart disease and failure, as well as stroke. Researchers remark that this evidence is more proof that strategies to prevent excess weight gain during adolescent years, such as adequate amounts of exercise and healthy eating habits, are necessary to prevent the onset of early adult heart problems.

Many heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure could be treated early on, thus preventing various future types of heart disease from developing -- if only uninsured Americans had access to health care. Democratic Mass. Senator John Kerry proposed recently that by 2012, all Americans be required to have health insurance -- and that anyone who can't get themselves covered be aided by the government to make sure that they are.

An estimated 46 million Americans have no health insurance. For many low-income Americans, that means no access to health care due to the high cost. A potential 2008 presidential candidate, Kerry plans to give Americans access to the same quality of care available to members of Congress, lower employer costs and cover every child in this country. Where will the funds to provide national health care come from, you ask? There will be more than enough, Kerry proposes, by repealing President Bush's tax cuts for people earning more than $200,000 a year.

This summer, tens of thousands of British children will fight obesity and prevent future heart disease by exercising in mini gyms. Filled with child-sized workout machines such as treadmills, weight lifting machines and exercise bikes, mini gyms provide kids with a fun active alternative to their daily average of four hours in front of the TV or computer.

Fifteen percent of children age 2 to 11 in Britain are obese, with another 15 percent overweight. Kids aged 5 and older are attracted to the mini gyms for their grown-up feel, and the opportunity to learn new exercises with their friends. The mini gyms are a non-competitive environment -- a positive aspect that helps obese and overweight children feel comfortable exercising with other kids. Nutrition advice and education are also offered by mini gym staff. The mini gyms popularity is spreading across the globe, with child-sized gyms opening in Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Some adults object to gyms targeted at children -- for fear it will instill narcissism and non-cooperative behavior in children exercising in a mirrored environment. Another argument is that it will create a new wave of body image issues in young girls. Mini gym staff took notice recently as a group of girls around age 10 began weighing themselves obsessively. The weight scales found in the corner of the mini gym were subsequently removed.

Life-long survivors of childhood cancers have the benefit of celebrating their success in winning the battle -- however, a new Dutch study found that many who had undergone treatment in their youth experienced the development of heart abnormalities in their 30s and 40s.

The cancer treatment in question are chemotherapy drugs called anthracyclines, which have contributed to the current 80 percent long-term survival rate of children with cancer. Anthracyclines appear to damage heart muscle cells, and continue to do so even after treatment has stopped. The most commonly developed heart problems are diastolic dysfunction, when the left heart chambers don't ever fully relax -- followed by systolic dysfunction, when the left chambers fail to pump correctly. It is estimated that cancer survivors who undertook these treatments are eight times more likely to develop these heart dysfunctions.

According to the researchers, some childhood cancer patients are currently receiving lower doses of anthracyclines accompanied by heart protective medication. It is recommended that these cancer surviving patients follow a more heart healthy lifestyle, and that their doctors be on the alert for the more subtle signs of heart problems.

A simple way for overweight women to lose weight and continue to safely breastfeed their babies involves decreasing the amount of dietary sugar and going for a brisk 45-minute walk at least four days a week. The result is the loss of about a pound a week, a new study shows.

Post-childbirth is an ideal time to start a new diet and exercise program to shed those leftover pregnancy pounds, though nothing extreme is necessary. The study started the exercise-diet program approximately four weeks after childbirth, giving new mothers enough time to recover and babies time to adjust to breastfeeding. The diet portion was implemented by reducing 500 calories, eliminating sweetened drinks, desserts, high-fat meat and sugary snacks. In addition, brisk walking, jogging or aerobic dancing was practiced for 10 weeks.

The lactating mothers did not complain of fatigue due to the diet and exercise, nor did they experience and reduction in milk volume. Their infants were also calmer. Researchers recommend that these women remember to consume at least three 8-ounce low-fat dairy servings, and five fruit and vegetable servings a day.

Scientists have found a clue to the childhood obesity epidemic in the U.S. and Britain. Pregnant women who consume a high-fat diet-- such as those common in the western world-- are more likely to have children who easily gain excess weight, reveals a new study. If these pregnant women don't start eating a more healthy, balanced diet-- by the year 2020 it is estimated that 20 percent of boys and 30 percent of girls will be obese.

The study found that a diet full of saturated, or animal fat, caused offspring to have higher levels of fat reserves due to enlarged fat cells. This changes the capabilities of the body to break down and metabolize fats, resulting in higher levels of fat in the blood-- making these children at risk of heart disease from the start of life. New studies are underway seeking leaner, healthier results from pregnancy diets rich in polyunsaturated fats-- the healthiest form of fat-- because it is important for pregnant women to consume some fats rich in vitamins for a healthy child.

Heavy drinking can lead to a myriad of other unhealthy behaviors, all of which add up to eventual heart disease. A new study finds that those who begin drinking before age 14 are much more likely to struggle with alcohol dependence later in life than people who abstain until age 21. Early drinkers also develop alcohol dependence faster.

Researchers surveyed over 43,000 adults, and found that 47 percent of those that began drinking before age 14 showed alcoholic symptoms within 10 years. Only 4 percent of those that began drinking at age 21 showed these same symptoms-- and the same percentage of these people were completely alcohol dependent. Of those who began drinking before age 14, twenty-seven percent were completely alcohol dependent before age 25. Researchers found inter-related factors to the early drinkers alcohol dependence, such as childhood anti-social behavior and a family history of alcoholism. They also stressed the importance of family doctors routinely inquiring about the youngsters drinking habits in order to provide effective intervention.

Heart attack during pregnancy has been linked to a trend in older mothers. The women who participated in this study also had pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, in addition to related pregnancy disorders.

The incidence of heart attack during pregnancy doubled over a ten-year period, occurring primarily in women over 30 and 40. For most, these were not their first pregnancy. Fifty-nine percent of heart attacks occurred during delivery, and around seven percent of the women who had heart attacks before or during delivery died. Scientists are unsure of the exact cause for these attacks, although they do attribute it partially to the delay in child-bearing. They urge doctors to be aware of this phenomenon in pregnant women over 30 with pre-existing blood pressure and diabetic conditions.

Fourteen percent of British children are obese. To help curtail this problem, which can lead to future heart issues, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of Britain wants TV junk food ads banned before 9 pm. With 80 percent of all British TV ads promoting junk food, the TV companies are worried about a serious loss of revenue. Ofcom, the UK media regulator, proposed that junk food ads be banned during pre-school aged TV programs and restriction of the ads aimed at children under age 10. The FSA said that's not good enough and parents agreed. With the average British child watching an estimated 20 hours of TV a week, all childrens health needs to be protected from the influence of poor dietary choices. America, why can't you be more like your older brother?