A major study from the University of California found that obesity rates have fallen slightly for white children, but keep rising for African-American and Hispanic children.
Dr. Kristine Madsen, lead author, studied data on over eight million children ages eight to 17 years old collected between 2001 and 2008. About 38% of the students were overweight, including 20% who were obese.
- The disparity between ethnic groups was greatest among girls. African-American, Hispanic and Native American girls were two to three times more likely to be overweight as non-Hispanic white girls.
- The rates of obesity rose from 20% to 22% among African American girls in the past seven years.
- Among Native American girls, the rate rose from 15% to 23% in the same period as the percentage for obese white girls fell by 0.6% to 10%.
This study appeared in the journal Pediatrics.
Labels: minority
Posted By: Jane St. Clair
