CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN
LOW INCOME AREAS
Kelly Vogt
Information for Parents
STATISTICS
• The amount of overweight children
is rapidly growing
• Around 2.7 million children ages 219 are obese
• Obesity was found more prevalent in
Hispanics over whites
• Growing up in a low income area,
children have two times the odds of
becoming obese than regular
income areas
OBESIT Y AND INCOME
 There is a direct correlation between income and overweight
children
 Low income areas are filled with fast food restaurants
 The cheapest easiest food is fast food
SAFET Y
 In low income areas most parks are not safe for children
 Parents will not allow the kids to play outside
 This leads to a sedentary lifestyle
 Video games are the biggest go to activity
EDUCATION
 In low income areas children and parents may not be
educated on a proper diet
 Proper education on diet is important
 Portion size and ingredients need to be managed
OBESIT Y CYCLE
 Overall, children whose parents went to college had half the
prevalence of obesity than those who did not
FOOD DESERTS
 A food desert is an area where there are no fresh
supermarkets
 This is very common in low income areas
 A study showed that a higher presence of super markets has a
lower percentage of obese people
 Fast food is the only option for families
 High in Saturated fats and sodium
WHAT THIS WILL LEAD TO
 Obesity is not just a problem now, it has a ripple af fect
 Obesity causes heart disease and type 2 diabetes
 Our health care will have to take care of this when our
younger generations grow older
 We will be paying more for health care to pay for the obese
 When a child is obese at a younger age it is harder to become
a healthy body weight later in life
 This will lead to depression and laziness
Junk Food
PARENTS ROLE
 Parents have a huge role on their children
 If the parents are eating unhealthy, so will the child
 Healthy options need to be provided and encouraged
 Portions need to be correct and controlled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0YlOSZ_RVk
CORRECT DIET FOR CHILDREN
 Low fat intake
 A lot of water
 Fruits, vegetables, dairy, and whole grains
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD DO
 Be a good example
 Provide healthy options
 Limit video games
EASY WAYS TO STAY HEALTHY
 Fill up on vegetables
 Use games as exercise
 Eat fruit for dessert
 Limit eating out
GAMES
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Tag
Hide and seek
Kickball
Whiffle ball
Games are the easiest way to get exercise into your child's
day
REVIEW
 Education, influence, and income are the three main things
causing childhood obesity. If we focus on improving these
areas, obesity in children can decrease dramatically.
SOURCES
 http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html