Kids Are Getting Fatter

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study released Tuesday confirms what many doctors, parents and public health officials have suspected for years: more and more US kids are overweight.

The findings are based on data from a study of more than 8,000 children aged 4 to 12 conducted between 1986 and 1998. During this time, the rate of overweight grew by more than 120% among African-American and Hispanic children, and by 50% among white children.

Overweight children, defined as those whose body mass index (BMI) exceeds the 95th percentile for their age and gender, were also heavier in 1998 compared with 1986, researchers report in the December 12th issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

White kids from higher-income families tended to be at lower risk for overweight while higher income was associated with a greater risk of overweight among blacks.

The findings mirror trends in the adult population, where the rate of overweight has increased by more than 50% over the last decade, and underscore the need for prevention programs that target specific ethnic groups, according to Dr. Richard S. Strauss from UM-DNJ-Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine in New Brunswick, New Jersey and Dr. Harold A. Pollack from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

``There has been a shift in the activity patterns of children,'' Strauss noted in an interview with Reuters Health. Twenty to 30 years ago, ``children didn't have many indoor activities at their disposal so they were more likely to go outside and play. Now, the primary social or entertainment activity of children occurs in front of a television or a computer.''

Overall, about 22% African-American and Hispanic children were overweight, while about 12% of white children were overweight, the report indicates.

The rate of children who were overweight grew faster in southern states, where 17% of kids were overweight in 1998, compared with nearly 11% of children in western states. Twelve years earlier, however, children in the two regions had similar rates of overweight.

``Given the profound consequences of childhood inactivity, poor nutrition, and overweight throughout the life span, urgency is warranted in responding to this epidemic,'' Strauss and Pollack conclude.

``No single physician can solve the problem,'' Strauss added. ''Parents, schools, communities, and physicians need to work together to curb the overweight epidemic.''

SOURCE: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2001;286:2845-

Reference Source 89

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".