News Story - Report: American Children Under Threat from Fat

March 24, 2004

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Report: American Children Under Threat from Fat

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Health - Reuters

Report: American Children Under Threat from Fat

10 minutes ago

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By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

American children are under threat

from their own fat, with obesity so common that its effects

have wiped out many other health gains, according to a report

released on Wednesday.

Health Have questions about your health? Find answers here.

The report, called the Child Wellbeing Index, found that

obesity is the single most widespread health problem facing

children. When being overweight is included in a statistical

profile of how children are faring, health well-being falls

nearly 15 percent below 1975 levels.

The report, released by the non-profit philanthropic

Foundation for Child Development, finds that U.S. children are

better off than they were in 1975, less likely to fall victim

to an accident and more connected to their communities.

But it finds that more children are overweight, poor and

more attempt suicide than 30 years ago.

"Kids are doing better, but they are not doing nearly as

well as they should be given this country's advances in

education, health, and social programs," said Kenneth Land, a

Duke University sociologist and demographer who developed the

index.

At least 15 percent of U.S. children are overweight,

according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (news - web sites), and the numbers steeply increase each year.

"Without the obesity indication in the health domain index,

we show about a 15 percent improvement compared to 1975," Land

said in a telephone interview. "Whereas with the obesity trend

in, we show a deterioration of about 15 percent."

Land said the study does not break down specific problems

caused by obesity, but assumes that obesity is a bad thing.

Many studies have shown that overweight children grow up to be

overweight adults and much more at risk of heart disease,

diabetes and some forms of cancer.

Studies are also starting to show that type-2 or adult

onset diabetes is affecting younger and younger children.

An estimated 60 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or

obese, and obesity is close to overtaking tobacco use as the

No. 1 cause of death, according to the CDC.

"The overall conclusion from the study is that child

well-being in the United States showed substantial improvement,

especially for the seven years from 1994 to 2000," Land said.

But the improvements are slowing, he added.

For the report, Land's group looked at hundreds of studies

on children and youth aged 1 to 19. It took into account

health; wealth; safety; educational achievement; community

connections including school and work; family and friends and

emotional and spiritual well-being.

"We're pleased to see that children's lives have improved

since 1975, but given America's resources and knowledge,

children can and should be doing much better," said Ruby

Takanishi, president of the Foundation for Child Development.

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