A little weight loss can mean a lot when it comes to keeping the blood pressure down in obese kids.

Research at Indiana University School of Medicine indicates that even a marginal weight reduction can bring BP levels down and keep them under check.

They also noted that cases of high blood pressure and hypertension among kids might lead to other medical complications in life.

"The effect of weight on blood pressure is very different in children in different weight categories," said lead researcher Wanzhu Tu, an associate professor of medicine.

"For obese and overweight children, even a small reduction in weight will produce a stronger benefit in blood pressure control," Tu added. He also noted that blood pressure control was not all that important among kids with normal weight.

The researchers studied cases of 1,113 children and compared their BMI to those with normal blood pressure, and noted that BMI had very little effect on the blood pressure among normal weight children as against ones with high BP. In fact, overweight boys had more problems than girls.

Commenting on the study, Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that "obesity is a serious health concern for children and adolescents."

"Aggressive steps are needed to prevent and treat obesity in childhood and adolescence to avoid subsequent cardiovascular health problems in adulthood," Fonarow added.