Children's eating habits at home have greater impact on childhood obesity than availability of junk food in schools, study finds; one in three children in the U.S. overweight

Nevin Barich

LOS ANGELES , January 18, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – Children’s eating habits at home have a greater impact on childhood obesity than the availability of junk food in schools, according to a Penn State University sociology study, the New York Daily News reported on Jan. 18.

The study revealed that although the percentage of children who have access to junk food at school increases between fifth and eighth grades, the percentage of fifth-to-eighth graders who were obese or overweight declined. The study concluded that children’s eating habits at home have a greater impact on obesity than children’s access to junk food in schools.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that one in three children in the U.S. while overweight, while two in three adults were overweight. These numbers are fairly consistent with 2003 figures, despite anti-obesity campaigns in the U.S.

The primary source of this article is the New York Daily News, New York, New York, on Jan. 18, 2012.

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