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To the Editor: An increasing number of US children are becoming obese. In a nationally representative sample, Ogden et al¹ found that 10.4% of children aged 2 to 5 years had a body mass index (BMI) above the 95th percentile. The numbers were even higher among older children: 15.3% among those aged 6 to 11 years, and 15.5% among those aged 12 to 19 years. Similarly, data from the Youth Behavior Risk Surveillance Survey (YBRSS)² found a 14% prevalence of overweight among Texas youth and 12% among Alabama youth, both higher than the national prevalence rate of 10%. We examined the prevalence of overweight children by race, sex, and income in these 2 states with higher prevalence rates.

Methods

We examined admissions records (which contain demographic information) of all children aged 3 to 5 years enrolled in Head Start programs in Birmingham, Ala; Northeast Alabama; and Houston, Tex in 2001. To . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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