MIAMI.– The obesity severe in children between 2 and 4 years old, affects the health of one in five children in the United States, which means a setback in the progress that had been made in this area, according to new research.
To carry it out, data from weight and height measurements were analyzed in children in the range of those ages, enrolled in the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program, which offers healthy foods and nutritional education to millions of people from low income.
The published study published by The American academy of Pediatrics (APP)on December 19, 2023 revealed that about 2% of children were severely obese in 2020, representing about 3,200 children out of more than 1.6 million who belong to the program.
Decrease in 2016
An investigation published in the journal Never In March 2018 it had indicated that rates were falling slightly about a decade ago, however this update has revealed that the rate has increased for 2020.
Severe obesity among WIC children decreased by 1.8 percent in 2016 compared to 2.1 percent in 2010.
Obesity in children in 20 states
According to the report, a high percentage of children with severe obesity experienced a significant increase in 20 states in the country.
California had the highest rate with an adjusted percentage point increase of 0.54% between 2016 and 2020.
Other states were Texas with an increase of 0.45%, Georgia with 0.4%, New Jersey with 0.39%, Washington with 0.38% and Hawaii with 0.37%.
Increase by ethnicity
On the other hand, Hispanic children had the largest significant increase, with an increase of 0.41 adjusted percentage points in their rates of severe obesity.
While Asian and Pacific Islander children experienced an increase of 0.28% and Black children 0.13%.
Health risks
Children with severe obesity have a higher risk of dying young or developing health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease, the researchers noted.
Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI), an estimate of body fat based on height and weight, greater than 35.
More than 20% of US children received WIC benefits in 2019, the researchers detailed. But these findings call into question whether progress has been made in the program against severe obesity.
Researcher Heidi Blanck, chief of the Division of Obesity Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), noted that “we were doing well and now we see this trend on the rise.” rise. “We are dismayed to see these findings.”
He highlighted that the increase occurred despite the fact that in 2009 they implemented some changes in the program to provide members with additional cash allowances for the purchase of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, based on studies recommended to improve diet. of WIC children.
According to experts, the everyday difficulties faced by families living in poverty may be more challenging today than they were a decade ago, and slight adjustments to the WIC program simply may not have been enough.
Some recent studies have shown that the increase in severe obesity in young children reached 2.9% in children aged 2 to 4 years in 2018, data that is consistent with this research, specialists said.
There is still no data from 2020, since some challenges were faced when preparing the analysis, due to the fact that the number of children in WIC decreased in the last decade, reducing the information. So the period taken for the study included 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, when fewer parents took their children to see the doctor.
@Lydr05
Source: With information from AP and The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAA)
