CDC Reports Decrease in Early Childhood Obesity
A report released by the CDC today indicates that multiple States and Territories show declines in early childhood obesity. The report revealed that 19 of the 43 States and Territories studied showed decreases in obesity in preschool-aged children from 2008 through 2011. Only 3 States showed increase (CO, TN, PA) and the remaining 21 States and Territories showed no change. Efforts like the We Can! and the Let’s Move! Campaign, including Let’s Move! Child Care, have aided in combating early childhood obesity.
In response to the report, First Lady Michelle Obama commented:
" Today’s announcement reaffirms my belief that together, we are making a real difference in helping kids across the country get a healthier start to life. We know how essential it is to set our youngest children on a path towards a lifetime of healthy eating and physical activity, and the more than 10,000 childcare programs participating in the Let’s Move! Child Care initiative are doing vitally important work on this front…Yet, while this announcement reflects important progress, we also know that there is tremendous work still to be done to support healthy futures for all our children,"
While this progress is promising, too many young children are still overweight or obese. On average, about 1 in 8 preschoolers are obese in the U.S. Of African American preschool-aged children, 1 in 5 are obese and of Hispanic preschool-aged children, about 1 in 6 are obese. Children who are overweight or obese during the preschool years are 5 times more likely to be overweight or obese as adults and suffer from physical and mental health problems throughout their lives.
To learn more about fighting early childhood obesity read CDC’s tips below and visit the CDC’s website.
For more information on early childhood development, please visit Early Childhood Development for information and resources.