Posted Apr 7th 2009 9:00AM by Carmen Dixon
Filed under: BlackSpin, health, News
More alarming information comes to us about the health of America's children. According to a disturbing new study, almost one in five 4-year-olds is obese, and the rate is strikingly higher among American Indian children, one-third of whom are obese.
Researchers did not expect to see differences by race at such an early age.
Overall, more than half a million 4-year-olds are obese, the study suggests. Obesity is more common among Hispanic and black youngsters, but the disparity is most startling in American Indians, whose obesity rate is almost double that of whites.
The study's lead author said that rate is worrisome among children so young, because obesity can lead to other health problems.
Source - Associated Press ... According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, one out of every six children is obese in America and blacks and Hispanics are at the greatest risk.
Dr. Glenn Flores, a pediatrics and public health professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, explains why these findings should occupy an important space in our national dialogue:
"The cumulative evidence is alarming because within just a few decades, America will become a 'minority majority' nation," he said. Without interventions, the next generation "will be at very high risk" for heart disease, high blood pressure, cancers, joint diseases and other problems connected with obesity, said Flores, who was not involved in the new research.
Source - Associated Press
One of the more distressing issues is why childhood obesity is such a big problem in minority communities. Unhealthy food choices and sedentary lifestyles are part of the problem, but genetic and environmental factors are also significant factors:
The researchers did not examine reasons for the disparities, but others offered several theories.
Flores cited higher rates of diabetes in American Indians and also Hispanics, which scientists believe may be due to genetic differences.
Also, other factors that can increase obesity risks tend to be more common among minorities, including poverty, less educated parents and diets high in fat and calories, Flores said.
Jessica Burger, a member of the Little River Ottawa tribe and health director of a tribal clinic in Manistee, Mich., said many children at her clinic are overweight or obese, including preschoolers. Burger, a nurse, said one culprit is gestational diabetes, which occurs during a mother's pregnancy. That increases children's chances of becoming overweight and is almost twice as common in American Indian women, compared with whites. Burger, a nurse, said one culprit is gestational diabetes, which occurs during a mother's pregnancy. That increases a kid's chances of becoming overweight and is almost twice as common in American Indian women, compared with whites.
She also blamed the federal commodity program for low-income people that many American Indian families receive. The offerings include lots of pastas, rice and other high-carbohydrate foods that contribute to what Burger said is often called a "commod bod."
"When that's the predominant dietary base in a household without access to fresh fruits and vegetables, that really creates a better chance of a person becoming obese," she said.
Also, Burger noted that exercise is not a priority in many American Indian families struggling to make ends meet, with parents feeling stressed just to provide basic necessities.
Source - Associated Press