A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that the proportion of children with high cholesterol has fallen over the past decade. The study, led by Dr. Brian Kit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also showed that the childhood obesity rate remained the same over the same time period.
The national study assessed more than 16,000 children and adolescents over three time periods: 1988-94, 1999-2002, and 2007-2010. The number of children ages 6 through 19 with high cholesterol declined by approximately 28% from the first to the third time period (from 1 in 9 children to 1 in 12).
Some experts theorize that the cholesterol drop may be attributable to a nationwide decrease in trans fat intake, spearheaded by a ban on artificial trans fats in New York City in 2008 and a statewide ban in California
USA Today has more information on the study.
