Intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products in early childhood and subsequent blood pressure change.

Background: Diets characterized by high intakes of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products (for example, the DASH diet) have been shown to reduce blood pressure in adults. The effects of similar diets on children's blood pressure are unknown.

Methods: We used 8 years of follow-up data from 95 children, initially 3 to 6 years of age at enrollment in the prospective Framingham Children's Study in 1986.

Does early physical activity predict body fat change throughout childhood?

Background: Declining levels of physical activity in the population at large may be responsible in part for the rising rates of childhood obesity. Studies to date, however, have not consistently demonstrated such a protective effect. We used longitudinal data from the Framingham Children's Study (FCS) to address this important question.