By Vince Faus
The Philadelphia Tribune
https://www.phillytrib.com/
In the bustling lives of children and teens, where growth spurts, homework and social media dominate, one invisible threat is quietly gaining ground, high blood pressure. Once considered an adult-only concern, hypertension is now affecting youth between the ages of 10 and 18 at alarming rates and the consequences are far more serious than most parents realize. According to the Cleveland Clinic, nearly 1 in 25 adolescents aged 12 to 19 now live with hypertension and about 1 in 10 have elevated blood pressure levels.
These numbers are even higher among Black and Hispanic youth and among boys compared to girls. The rise is closely linked to increasing rates of obesity, sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition.
If you have a fitness question or concern, write to “Tips to be Fit,” P.O. Box 53443, Philadelphia, PA 19105 or send an email to tipstobefit@gmail.com. Past articles can be found at www.phillytrib.com by searching “Tips to be Fit.”
