In this week's
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) the
CDC reported that childhood obesity among 3-4 year old children in Los Angeles County and New York City has leveled off and even declined a bit. The children studied were receiving public assistance nutritional services under the Women, Infants' and Childrens' (WIC) programs in the two most populous counties in the US. Both jurisdictions undertook programs to educated mothers about proper nutrition and exercise, although New York started earlier. The results are encouraging.
Prevalence of obesity among 3-4 year-olds in LA County and New York City
Ethnicity and obesity
Childhood obesity varies by ethnicity. See the charts below.,
Hispanicstended to have more obesity compared to Blacks, Whites, and Asians. Why this is true is unclear but it is a national trend. Overall, these are encouraging results, suggesting that our increased awareness of diet and obesity, and subsequent educational efforts, may be paying off, at least among low-income citizens.
MW
Good news, indeed. So let's hope the feds don't cut the funding for these important programs for low-income folks. We need to advocate for them. As author of a book on teen weight problems (Weight Loss Confidential), I can say with certainly that the earlier we can address overweight and obesity the better.
ReplyDelete