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Why Obesity Rates are Falling Among Preschoolers | TIME.com
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Between 2008 and 2011, 18 U.S. states and one territory reported small, but statistically significant declines in obesity among this group of preschoolers. The findings, based on data from12 million children aged two to four years who participate in federally funded maternal- and child-nutrition programs, show that childhood obesity rates in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, South Dakota, and the U.S. Virgin Islands declined by at least a 1%, and 20 other states and Puerto Rico maintained their current rates while only three states saw slight increases. The results are encouraging, since in the U.S., about one in eight preschoolers are obese, and kids are five times more likely to be overweight or obese as adults if they are overweight between the ages of three and five.
Weve seen isolated reports in the past that have had encouraging trends, but this is the first report to show many states with declining rates of obesity in our youngest children after literally decades of rising rates, says Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC.
Frieden credits the turn-around to a combination of more intensive government programs to provide healthy foods to low-income families, as well as greater awareness of the importance of nutrition and healthy weight overall. For example, the the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which provides nutritious foods and information on healthy eating and health care referrals to low-income pregnant women, promotes breastfeeding and offers whole fruits and vegetables instead of fruit juice. Breastfeeding has been linked in some studies to lower rates of obesity among children, and studies show that kids who eat fresh produce are less likely to turn to the high-calorie, sugary snacks and beverages that have been associated with weight gain. And programs like Lets Move!, which encourage kids to be physically active, are also helping youngsters to maintain a healthy balance between the amount of calories they eat and the amount they burn off.
Read more: Why Obesity Rates are Falling Among Preschoolers | TIME.com
Good job promoting getting off your ass no matter how mad the Repub were at the message