Ohio's Kids Are Still Fat

An Ohio state health department study shows that just as many of Ohio's kids are fat now as were fat five years ago. The percentage of obese kids — just over 30% — remains basically the same despite increased efforts to get children slimmed down.

The study also shed some light on groundbreaking news involving diet, exercise, and health. Witness, via WKYC:

Low income children were significantly more likely to be obese compared to other children.

Overweight and obesity prevalence was greater among children with a higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, with children drinking more than one sugar-sweetened beverage per day having the highest overweight and obesity prevalence.

Children who drank the most sugar-sweetened beverages per day in Ohio include non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children, children living in Appalachian counties, and low income children.

Overweight and obesity prevalence also increased with increased TV viewing, with children watching three or more hours per day having higher prevalence compared to children who watched less.

So not exercising and drinking sugary beverages leads to weight issues? Huh.

After the jump, a county-by-county map showing where the fattest kids are, courtesy of the Columbus Dispatch.