Parents should not ignore the results of a Northwestern University health study.

A young person's bad eating habits can lead to an early death.

That's why the results of a health study of children conducted by the medical school at Northwestern University should draw the interest of every parent.

The study of more than 5,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 19 concluded that poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle are laying the groundwork for increases in heart disease.

The study found, rather shockingly, that not one of the young people in the study had a diet that satisfied the American Health Association's criteria for healthful eating.

The AHA stress a diet that primarily relies on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat and nonfat dairy products, beans, fish and lean meat. It also emphasizes low intakes of saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and added sugar and salt.

Another key component to good health is adequate exercise.

Instead, the study concluded, the young people consumed too much salt, drank too many sugary soft drinks and did not eat enough fruits and vegetables.

Even more ominous was the percentage of young people — one-third — considered to be overweight and with high blood sugar, a combination that makes them prime candidates for diabetes.

Dr. Donald Landry-Jones said poor eating habits lay the groundwork for cardiovascular disease that can take a grim toll when people are in their 40s and 50s.

This, of course, is nothing new. The obesity epidemic has been well documented, as has the poor eating habits that contribute to it.

But people can trade their bad eating and exercise habits for good ones. The Northwestern study provides good reasons for doing so.