Good Heart Health Begins Young

You might think you don’t have to think about your heart until midlife. That’s a problem because growing numbers of young people are obese and suffering from type 2 diabetes, which can affect your heart.

As early as your 20s, obesity and other heart risk factors increase your risk of mental decline later.

A large multi-site team of scientists drew that conclusion from data on more than 15,000 people, ranging in age from 18  to 95. The team compared records of the participants’ body mass index (or BMI) — a measure of obesity — to scores on tests of mental sharpness in later life. They also looked at fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol — all possible measures of heart disease risk. High numbers predicted greater late-life mental decline for each factor except total cholesterol.

That’s a problem because growing numbers of young people are obese and suffering from type 2 diabetes, which can affect their hearts. “Underdiagnosed and undertreated cardiovascular risk factors in younger ages could have significant public health implications for cognitive health," the researchers wrote.

Being obese while you’re young might also shorten your life, on average by a decade, according to other research.

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Obesity is more common

About 40 percent of both men and women aged 20 to 39 have obesity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. The portion of people with a problem increases in midlife, to nearly 45 percent. Those figures include about 10 percent with severe obesity. They have steadily increased since 1999.

What you can do

It’s all about your daily habits. Even people with a family history of obesity can avoid it by walking briskly an hour a day. Most people need to exercise more and eat less.

Aim for at least a half hour of exercise every day, five days a week — an hour is even better. Add in some kind of strength training two days a week. You could lift weights, work with resistance bands, or do push-ups and sit-ups. Digging and shoveling count. So do some kinds of yoga or Pilates classes that focus on particular muscles. Extra exercise brings extra benefits as long as you don’t hurt yourself.

Make sure you get enough sleep, banish late-night binges, and think of ways to nurture yourself other than (usually unhealthful) comfort food.

There’s no trick to dieting. The best plan is the one that works for you. Identify the foods you overeat and how you can cut back. The secret to self-control is avoiding temptation. Don’t keep your dangerous foods in your home.

Most of us need to eat more vegetables and whole grains and less meat and junk carbs like potato chips and sweets. Banish sweetened soda. Alcohol is also high in calories.

Try the MyPlate app for regular guidance on a nutritious diet, which may be very different from how you ate growing up. It’s harder to eat healthily when you’re surrounded by people who don’t. You may need to set the tone or accept that you’ll do it alone.

For ideas and inspiration, read “Lose It Forever: The 6 Habits of Successful Weight Losers from the National Weight Control Registry.” The registry is an ongoing study of people who have kept off at least a 30 pounds for a year or more. Nearly all of them changed their eating and exercise habits. Nearly all of them also exercise, on average an hour a day.

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