Just when we've mastered the difference between good and bad cholesterol, researchers have introduced a host of new risk factors for heart disease. While the major risk factors such as family history and elevated LDL cholesterol are still the strongest predictors of risk, emerging factors such as high levels of homocysteine and C-reactive protein may also play a role in the development of heart disease. Click here to read more. Is your child overweight? Underweight? A study in the July 2000 issue of Pediatrics shows us that, at least when it comes to teens, both parents and children are surprisingly poor at judging appropriate weight. Forty-seven percent of teens who reported that they were very overweight were not obese at all, according to objective body mass index (BMI) calculations. But among teens who were objectively obese, most parents and most children themselves did not recognize it! The CDC growth charts are an excellent mirror that can help us see accurately how our children are growing. The BMI curve, in particular, can give us an early warning even before a child is truly overweight or underweight. Sometimes we need to take a more objective look at our kids.