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The Scientific Basis 🔍

The state of cardiometabolic health in the United States paints a sobering picture. While precise figures are challenging to pinpoint, recent research suggests that the percentage of individuals with optimal cardiometabolic health is alarmingly low, ranging from 0 to 6.8% for adults and potentially even lower for youth (O’Hearn et al., 2022; Fryar et al., 2020).

Direct Evidence 🎯

Only 6.8% of adults achieved optimal cardiometabolic health in 2017-2018.

A groundbreaking study by O’Hearn et al. (2022) examined trends among US adults from 1999 to 2018. Their findings were stark: only 6.8% of adults achieved optimal cardiometabolic health in 2017-2018. This statistic serves as a canary in the coal mine, signaling a disturbing trend that likely begins much earlier in life.

Indirect Evidence ⚠️

The road to poor cardiometabolic health develops early. Extensive research demonstrates that lifestyle factors and health conditions established in childhood and adolescence cast long shadows into adulthood (Fernandez-Jimenez et al., 2018).

Scholarly research suggests that the prevalence of optimal health in 18-year-olds is likely lower than observed in adults, as health status declines in youth.

Studies have identified alarmingly high rates of risk factors for future cardiometabolic issues in young people. The prevalence of childhood obesity, for instance, has more than tripled since the 1970s, affecting about 19.7% of US children and adolescents aged 2-19 years in 2017-2018 (Fryar et al., 2020).

Sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy dietary patterns further compound the issue, with only 24% of children aged 6 to 17 participating in 60 minutes of physical activity daily (National Physical Activity Plan Alliance, 2018).

These risk factors significantly increase the likelihood of developing problems later in life, suggesting that the number of 18-year-olds with truly optimal health is likely closer to the lower end of the possible range—perhaps even approaching 0%—rather than the 6.8% observed in adults.

Additional Considerations 💡

The challenge of defining “optimal health” adds complexity to this issue. Different studies and organizations use varying criteria, which hinders precise comparisons and estimations (Magkos et al., 2019).

However, even with these nuanced definitions, the overall trend of declining health and increasing risk factors in US youth supports the assertion that the percentage of children with truly ideal health likely falls between 0 and 3%.

Finally🔑

While determining a precise number of US youth with optimal cardiometabolic health remains challenging, the evidence strongly suggests that it falls between 0 and 3%. This reality underscores the need to promote healthy lifestyles, address risk factors early in life, and provide accessible healthcare resources to improve current and future generations’ overall cardiometabolic health and well-being.

We need to highlight the crisis, advocate for systemic change, open the dialogue, and be respectful. – Meghan O’Hearn et al. (2022)

Mission 🚀

Creating and disseminating self-health courses represent a tangible step towards addressing this crisis. We can catalyze a grassroots movement towards better health by empowering individuals with knowledge and practical tools.

It’s not just about offering you tools; it’s about sparking a revolution in approaching health and well-being from an early age.

Thank you for reading!

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References

Fernandez-Jimenez, R., Al-Kazaz, M., Jaslow, R., Carvajal, I., & Fuster, V. (2018). Children present a window of opportunity for promoting health: JACC review topic of the week. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 72(25), 3310-3319.

Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M. D., & Afful, J. (2020). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents aged 2–19 years: United States, 1963–1965 through 2017–2018. NCHS Health E-Stats.

Magkos, F., Fraterrigo, G., Yoshino, J., Luecking, C., Kirbach, K., Kelly, S. C., … & Klein, S. (2019). Effects of moderate and subsequent progressive weight loss on metabolic function and adipose tissue biology in obese humans. Cell Metabolism, 29(1), 39-52.

National Physical Activity Plan Alliance. (2018). The 2018 United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Columbia, SC.

O’Hearn, M., Lauren, B. N., Wong, J. B., Kim, D. D., & Mozaffarian, D. (2022). Trends and disparities in cardiometabolic health among US adults, 1999-2018. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 80(2), 138-151.

The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only, not professional medical advice regarding your specific health questions or concerns.

A Need for Self-Health Tools: The Reality in the U.S. and Globally 🌎