August 19, 2012 Contact: Sue Crosson-Knutson 312-334-2311
scknutson@vascularsociety.orgCHICAGO - Does your child’s lunch box brim with energy sources such as:
- At least one fresh fruit or vegetable (think: apple slices or baby carrots)
- A sandwich on whole grain bread or a roll
- A reduced fat cheese or yogurt product
- At least one serving of protein, e.g. lean meat, egg, peanut butter, chickpeas, or tuna.
“The foods we eat affect our energy level,” said Robert Rhee, MD, a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery®. “Eating habits established in childhood impact our health in years to come. Lunch box ingredients are important today as well as tomorrow. Food choices have the potential to influence cardiovascular health lifelong.”
To counter the national health crises of obesity (more than one third of children in the United States are obese; two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese), diabetes, and vascular disease, the United States Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans includes evidence-based nutritional guidance to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity.
Dr. Rhee suggests eating foods with less sugar, saturated fats, and cholesterol. “I’ve seen the insides of arteries that have significant cholesterol build-up,” said Dr. Rhee. “I know that a few lifestyle changes as a child can improve vascular health as an adult.”
These changes include:
- eating healthy,
- 30 minutes of exercise daily to help reduce the risk of stroke, the fourth leading cause of death in America according to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 National Vital Statistics Report. In 2010, 137,000 Americans died of stroke.
- not smoking,
- maintaining a healthy body weight.
For information on vascular health, visit VascularWeb.org®.
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About the Society for Vascular Surgery®
The Society for Vascular Surgery® (SVS) is a not-for-profit professional medical society, composed primarily of vascular surgeons, that seeks to advance excellence and innovation in vascular health through education, advocacy, research, and public awareness. SVS is the national advocate for 3,683 specialty-trained vascular surgeons and other medical professionals who are dedicated to the prevention and cure of vascular disease. Visit its Web site at VascularWeb.org®. Follow SVS on Twitter and Facebook.