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New York City Kids Still Overweight
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Sep 5, 2010
Modified Sep 5, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Sep 5, 2010
Modified Sep 5, 2010
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That holier-than-thou attitude most New Yorkers carry about being healthy because we walk everywhere and have so many food options may have to change, as a study shows that city efforts to curb childhood obesity have not changed. In fact, city kids may be even heavier than the national average. Last year, NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, "When four out of 10 school kids are overweight or obese, the city has a problem." And despite the city's efforts, the number remains the same.
About 637,000 children in kindergarten through 8th grade were found to be overweight or obese in the 2008-2009 school year, the same number as the previous year. About 22% were obese, compared to the national average of 19.6%. And when broken down by zip code, data shows less-affluent neighborhoods tended to have heavier kids. The highest rate was in Corona, Queens, where 51% of schoolchildren were overweight or obese. Comparatively, just 12% of students were overweight or obese on the Upper West Side.
The city has attempted to make fruits and vegetables more available in less-affluent neighborhoods, banned homemade goods at school bake sales and banned sugary drinks from school vending machines, but it doesn't seem to have kept the city's kids from eating unhealthily. However, Laurie Benson, executive director of the Department of Education's Office of School Wellness, tells the Daily News the numbers may have a silver lining. "While it would be great if we saw the numbers go down, it is encouraging that they're holding steady."
Parents say the data makes sense, and it's hard to make sure their kids eat right. Gabriella Mendoza of Corona says she tries to make her 6-year-old eat right, but also treats him to McDonalds. She said, "Sometimes I bring him here, but not often because I know it's too much calories." Cathy Nonas, the director of physical activity and nutrition for the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, says they'll be beginning a pilot project that would train 3,000 teachers in exercises that can be done during classroom breaks. She told the Times, "I’m sorry to say it’s in line with the nation, but we’re certainly working hard to get it down from here."
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obesity
overweight
students
Jaya Saxena
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