(February 11, 2010 - Insidermedicine)

Being overweight, having high levels of sugar in the blood, and having high blood pressure during childhood are all associated with a premature risk of death from endogenous causes, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here are some tips to help you feed your children a healthy diet:

•    Limit added sugars, including sugar-sweetened drinks and juices.

•    Use canola, soybean, corn oil, safflower oil, or other unsaturated oils in place of solid fats during foot preparation.

•    Use recommended portion sizes on food labels when preparing and serving food.

Researchers from Umea University Hospital assessed the body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, as well as blood sugar and cholesterol levels of nearly 5,000 American Indian children who were not currently suffering from diabetes. The investigators then looked at whether these factors predicted the risk of death from endogenous causes before the age of 55. The children were born between 1945 and 1984, and their average age during their assessment was just over 11 years.

During a follow-up period of nearly 24 years, 166 of the participants died from endogenous causes. Those with the highest BMIs were 2.3 times more likely to die and those with the highest blood sugar levels were 73% more likely to die from endogenous causes before age 55 than those with the lowest BMIs and lowest blood sugar levels. Having high blood pressure was associated with a 57% increased risk of dying by age 55 of an endogenous cause.

Today's research highlights how important it is to control overweight, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure in childhood, as these can have long-term health consequences.