Obese teenagers 'show signs of heart disease' (Canada)

"The blood vessels of obese teenagers look more like those found in middle-aged people, say Canadian researchers. A study of 63 children, whose average age was 13, found signs of "stiffening" in the aorta - the largest artery in the body. The British Columbia Children's Hospital team said it was an early indicator of heart disease. The British Heart Foundation described child obesity as a "ticking public health time bomb". One of the key changes in heart disease is the hardening of arteries supplying blood to the heart. The rate of childhood obesity has rocketed in the last two decades and continues to increase, leading to fears that younger and younger people will fall prey to heart attacks and strokes, as well as other diseases such as Type 2 diabetes."