In California, renowned for lean bodies and active lifestyles, childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels, with more than 40% of the schoolchildren in some communities overweight, according to a new study.
Children in Southern California fare particularly badly: Of the state's 10 largest cities, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Anaheim top the scales, with 36%, 35% and 32% of their children overweight, respectively. By comparison, 24% of San Francisco's children are overweight and 26% of San Diego's are.
Statewide, 28% of children are overweight, a 6% increase since 2001, according to the study by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, a nonprofit organization in Davis.
The report, based on public school fitness test scores for fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders, is the first to look at the percentage of overweight children in specific communities.
Those extra pounds are a public health crisis poised to explode into increased rates of debilitating illnesses, the report warns.
"We were shocked by the findings, especially when we looked at specific communities," said Harold Goldstein, the center's executive director. "We see regions with more than one-third of kids overweight. It really is scary when you look at the long-term costs in human suffering and the economy. Three-quarters of overweight teens will become obese adults. One-third of children born in 2000 can expect to develop diabetes."
The Central Valley town of Wasco has the highest percentage of overweight children: 42%. In nearby Delano, more than 40% are. And 41% of the children in the Los Angeles community of Wilmington are overweight.
In Pacoima, El Monte, Huntington Park and North Hollywood, well more than one-third of schoolchildren are overweight, the study found.
The rates were far lower in some areas, including the foothill community of El Dorado Hills near Sacramento, with 9% of children overweight, and Manhattan Beach, with 8%.
The report's authors determined whether children were overweight by looking at their body fat.
Experts say that whether a community's children tend to be fat or fit depends on demographics and socioeconomics.
"What is required to explain this in more detail is further study of what is going on in different communities," Goldstein said. "Latinos, Pacific Islanders and blacks are more overweight than other groups. Low-income communities have a higher density of fast-food outlets, and it takes more effort for people to buy healthy foods. Los Angeles is designed for cars, and it doesn't help that schools often don't have physical education anymore. But the point is: The trend is worsening for everyone."
