Kids .... and Cholesterol????

Did anyone see this is the news a few weeks ago?

Children as young as two should be screened for high cholesterol, and some at-risk kids should be prescribed cholesterol medication to protect them from early heart disease, says a leading group of American pediatricians.

New guidelines released yesterday by the American Academy of Pediatrics are the strongest yet on the issue, spurred by mounting childhood obesity. They call for wider cholesterol screening in children, and more aggressive use of cholesterol-lowering drugs for kids as young as eight.

Yes, these guidelines are calling for more aggressive use of drugs on kids!!

There's some lip-service, to be sure:

Lifestyle changes, including changes in diet and increased physical activity, should be the first line of attack for high cholesterol levels, the guidelines say. But if those don't work, the academy recommends doctors prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, to get levels under control.

"MikeLondon", a commenter on this article, said it better than I ever could:

Medicating society is out of control. This is barking mad! These are children. Changing diet and encouraging exercise is what is required.