Rising Child Obesity Offsets Gains. Health risks of being fat far outweigh progress among U.S. children in birthrates, smoking and drug abuse, report says.
Los Angeles Times
March 31, 2005
WASHINGTON — Child obesity has more than tripled in three decades, and the increased health risk associated with being fat has wiped out progress in other areas, according to a report issued Wednesday.
The annual report on U.S. child welfare from Duke University and the Foundation for Child Development also found that more children are living in poverty.
Those findings overshadowed the overall gain for U.S. children, who were found to be having fewer babies, smoking less and using fewer illegal drugs. The report’s overall measurement, called the Child Well-Being Index, has improved 4.5% since 1995.
But an estimated 15% of U.S. children now are overweight or obese, and studies show they are developing Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and even high blood pressure at rates that greatly raise their risk of heart disease.
Rising obesity has “completely obscured all progress made in the health category, dragging it 17% below 1975 levels,” the foundation said in a statement. To read the entire Los Angeles Times article click here.
The Center has long advocated for parents and public officials to provide places to play to help children and their families to become physically fit, including the joint use of schools, parks, and playgrounds to make optimal use of scarce land and public resources. To view specific recommendations to help offset the fast growing epidemic of childhood obesity click here.
