Obesity Declining Among Preschool-Aged Kids in Poor Families
Obesity among 2- to 4-year-olds from poor families has
experienced a modest yet crucial dip that researchers say may
indicate the obesity epidemic has reached its peak among this
group, according to a national study published Tuesday in in The
Journal of the American Medical Association. Obesity and extreme
obesity in childhood are more prevalent among minority and low-
income families. Being overweight poses greater health risks for
young children down the road including early onset type 2
diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death. The study,
conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), accounted for the height and weight measurements of 27
million children from across 30 states and D.C., who, from 1998
to 2010, were part of the federal Women, Infants and Children
program (WIC), which provides food subsidies and nutrition
education for low-income mothers and their infants and children
up to age 5. Researchers observe