Researchers say kindergartners that are overweight are four times more likely to be obese by the age of fourteen. The baby fat on young children's thighs, face, and tummy can be an indicator of their weight in the future years.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say one out of eight preschoolers in the United States are obese. The numbers are higher in African-Americans (one in five) and Hispanics (one in six). Researches collected data from 7,700 kindergarteners up until they were fourteen. At the start of the study they found 12.4% were obese and 14.9% were overweight. By the eighth grade 20.8% of these children were obese and 17% were overweight. Half of the 20.8% were a part of the overweight percentile in kindergarten. Obesity rates skyrocketed between first to second grade, numbers jumping from 13% to 18.6%. The children coming from a wealthy home were least likely to be obese and the children born heavy were likely to be heavy at every age. Childhood obesity cannot be fought without help, Steven Gortmaker and Elsie Taveras say improving a child's diet and increasing physical activity will reduce the chances of obesity. It may not seem like such a big deal to have an overweight child, but in the long run it becomes a struggle for the child physically and emotionally. It is an issue that can be controlled, all parents should be aware of ways to help their child's weight.
- Jacque Wilson
- January 30, 2014
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http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/30/your-kindergartner%E2%80%8Es-weight-matters/?hpt=he_c2
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