When: Monday, April 18, 2 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

How: Call (800) 406-5356 and ask for the American Heart Association's obesity news conference the "Fattening of America." Reporters will have the opportunity to ask questions by signaling the operator after the presentations on a first come, first served basis.

Childhood obesity: It isn't a cosmetic issue New American Heart Association scientific statement on childhood obesity

• The prevalence of overweight children and adolescents has almost quadrupled since the 1980s. This statement outlines the cardiovascular consequences of childhood obesity and suggests prevention strategies.

Women with large waistlines and elevated triglycerides face a dramatic increase in the risk of death from heart disease and stroke

• Enlarged waist and high triglycerides were a better predictor of cardiovascular risk in women compared to the metabolic syndrome criteria in this Danish study.

Fat is bad even for the fit: Study links body fatness and increased cardiovascular risk factors in aerobically fit men

• Fatness was a better predictor of cardiovascular risk factors compared to levels of aerobic fitness in this University of Colorado study.

Obesity and insulin resistance in teens

• Teens who have insulin resistance combined with obesity were more likely to have cardiovascular risk factors, such as higher blood pressure, and "bad" cholesterol in this University of Minnesota study.

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Contact: Darcy Spitz
darcy.spitz@heart.org
212-878-5940
American Heart Association
18-Apr-2005