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More children in this country are overweight than ever
before, about double the number who were heavy in the late 1970s, according to
government findings just out. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention show:
- 13% percent of children ages 6 to 11 were overweight in 1999, up from 11% in
1988-1994 and 7% in the late '70s.
- 14% of children ages 12 to 19 were overweight in 1999, up from 11% in 1988-1994
and 5% in the late '70s.
Even more children are headed toward becoming overweight. About 20% to 25% of kids
are either overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, the government says.
Doctors have official height and weight charts to determine whether a child is
overweight. For example, a 7-year-old boy who is 4 feet tall would be considered
overweight if he weighs 63 pounds or more; a girl of the same age and height would be
considered overweight if she weighs 65 pounds or more.
"Overweight children are at risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other
serious health problems,'' says Jeffrey Koplan, director of the CDC. Nutritionist Robert
Kuczmarski with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics says: ''Parents need to
set a good example by selecting from a wide variety of healthy foods, consuming them in
moderation and getting plenty of leisure-time physical activity."
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