More young children are packing on the pounds than a decade ago, according to a recent American Heart Association report.
“Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: 2005 Update” is available from the American Heart Association. ()
The Dallas-based association reports that more than 10 percent of preschoolers, ages 2 to 5, are considered overweight or obese, up from 7 percent in 1994. The association’s statistics are based on data collected by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Higher percentages of older children are also getting fatter, with some 9 million children and adolescents, ages 6 to 19, exceeding a healthy weight based on their age and height. The percentage of overweight children in that age range quadrupled from about 4 percent in the early 1960s to about 16 percent in 2002, the report says.
