More than 10% of American children ages two to five are overweight, according to the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual report.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Nearly four million kids ages six to 11 were overweight or obese in 2002, and the preschooler findings suggest that weight problems begin even earlier. “The statistics are not anything but alarming,” said the AHA in a release, adding that in the coming decades, “the incidence of heart disease, stroke and diabetes is just going to be astronomical.”
Experts say junk food marketing, too much TV, and fewer families eating meals together, results in about one million youths ages 12 to 19 having three or more of the following: high triglycerides; low ‘good’ cholesterol; high blood sugar; high blood pressure; and a big waistline.
