January 27, 2006 One in four Georgia third graders are obese and
that’s scary considering that obesity in children is associated
with diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and low self-esteem.
The study released by the Georgia Department of Human Resources
earlier this week also found that girls are more likely to be
obese than boys and black children were more likely to be obese
than white children. Now schools are trying to battle the
buldge. Dr. Joni Lawton is getting these first and second
graders at Westmont Elementary into shape. “Come on, so you can
show me when you get over here,” Lawton said. But if they don’t
keep this up, by the time they reach third grade their bodies
will take a different form. “In the summer when they come back
we notice they need to start working again, they’ve put on those
extra pounds,” Lawton said. A study released by the Georgia
Department of Human Resources found that 43 percent of Georgia
third graders were either overweight or obese. “Yes, we’ve seen
larger kids, especia