A new study says that children with a high amount of fat in their midsections are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia recently published these findings online in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity. They ran tests on over 100 children aged between seven and 11 years, checking their waist sizes against various blood tests.

They found that those with the largest waists were three times as likely to have high triglyceride levels, four times as likely to have low levels of HDL cholesterol and nearly four times as likely to have high levels of fasting insulin. All three factors increase the chances of developing heart disease or diabetes.

"These results suggest that waist circumference could provide an additional measurement of risk," said Dr. Reda Bassali, a co-author of the study. "The intervention strategies would be the same."

While the researchers are unsure why some people have more fat in their midsections than others, adults who have grown up with larger abdominal areas can decrease risk by reducing their waistlines. This can be accomplished with a low-fat diet and regular exercise. Supplements containing antioxidants such as omega-3 fatty acids or Coenzyme Q10, can help clear tryglicerides from the bloodstream.