Preschool Obesity

A recent study published today in The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 2009 looked at the prevalence of obesity among US preschool children and showed that " Almost 13 percent of 4 year old Asian children were obese, along with 16 percent of whites, almost 21 percent of blacks, 22 percent of Hispanics, and 31 percent of American Indians." This article shows that obesity is clearly on the rise in the very young child.

We know that obesity is connected to the co-morbidities of diabetes, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high lipid levels and even more to social and psychological stigmas. Obesity has a genetic component - perhaps explaining the variable ethnic differences as outlined in this study. But the bottom line is ...how does the environment play a factor here in the life of a four year old. How much power does a young child have over what they are eating, when they are eating and where they are eating?