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Cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides in Children and Teens What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance. It can be found in all parts of your child's body. It helps make cell membranes, some hormones, and vitamin D. The cholesterol in blood comes from 2

Watching Your Weight Why do you need to watch your weight? According to the CDC, more than 7 in 10 U.S. adults older than age 20 are either overweight or obese. Why is excess weight a concern? It may cause new health problems or worsen ones you already have. Staying at a healthy

Cholesterol in the Blood Facts about cholesterol Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance that can be found in all parts of your body. It helps your body make cell membranes, many hormones, and vitamin D. The cholesterol in your blood comes from 2 sources: the foods you eat and

Overview of Diabetes Complications What complications are linked to diabetes? Complications linked to diabetes may include: Heart disease. This is often caused by an extra buildup of plaque on the inner wall of a blood vessel (atherosclerosis). The plaque buildup limits blood

Refractive Errors in Children What is normal vision? To understand how certain problems can affect your child's vision, it’s important to know how normal vision happens. For children with normal vision, the following things occur in this order: Light enters the eye through the

Diabetes and High Blood Pressure High blood pressure is 2 times more likely to strike a person with diabetes mellitus. Left untreated, high blood pressure can cause serious health problems. These include: Heart disease Kidney disease Eye problems Stroke A person with diabetes and

Nightmares and Night Terrors What are night terrors? A night terror is a partial waking from sleep with behaviors such as screaming, kicking, panic, sleep walking, thrashing, or mumbling. They are harmless, and each episode will end in deep sleep. They tend to occur in children

The Digestive System: An Overview What is digestion? Food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules of nutrients to be absorbed into the blood and carried to cells throughout the body. Digestion is the process by which food and liquid are broken down into smaller parts

Obesity in Children and Teens What is obesity in children and teens? Obesity is when a person has too much body fat. Without treatment, obesity can become a serious, long-term disease. What causes obesity in a child or teen? In many ways, childhood obesity is a puzzling disease

Cancer and Tobacco How are tobacco and cancer linked? Using tobacco makes it more likely that you will get cancer. This includes lung, mouth, throat, bladder, and other cancers. In fact, 1 out of 5 people with cancer in the U.S. got it from smoking. All tobacco products, such as