A new report shows that sons of immigrants have high levels of childhood obesity.
The Foundation for Child Development conducted a study of 21,000 children and found that 34 percent of kindergarten age immigrant boys were obese or overweight — 9 percent higher than American boys the same age. The study said that by the eighth grade, 49 percent of the immigrant boys had weight problems.
The report cited several factors that could influence the rate of obesity among sons of immigrants, including high-calorie snacks and drinks in schools, lack of exercise, and possibly lack of health education lead to obesity.
Jeffrey Koplan of the Emory University Global Health Institute commented on the findings. He said the immigrants may have come from a region where certain drinks and snacks are expensive or hard to find. Having come to America, he said, the immigrant kids may be finding these foods all too easy to drink and eat.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
People can take action to combat childhood obesity. The problem will not be resolved unless parents get involved. Parents need to take responsibility and teach their children about nutrition, exercise and how to eat right. They can also lead by example by taking charge of their own health.
Thank you for sharing information about this important issue.