Southern Children and Obesity

Children residing in Southeastern states most likely to be overweight, obese.
The Los Angeles Times (5/3, Stein) "Booster Shots" blog reported, "Kids in the US have been getting fatter in recent decades, but a new study showing the geographical differences in childhood obesity trends paints a more comprehensive picture of where things are getting worse -- and better." Researchers at the US Health Resources and Services Administration started with data from the National Survey of Children's Health, zeroing in on "weight statistics among 46,707 US children ages 10 to 17 in 2003, and among 44,101 children in 2007."
They found that overall, the "childhood obesity rose by 10 percent across the country between 2003 and 2007," the Boston Globe (5/3, Cooney) "White Coat Notes" blog reported. "But there are wide variations among the states and between girls and boys," according to the paper in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. In fact, "obesity and overweight rates fell for boys but not for girls, although boys had higher rates to begin with, both in the state and across the country."
And, "youngsters living in the Southeastern US are the most likely to be overweight or obese, while those from the West are most likely to be thin," MedPage Today (5/3, Emery) reported. For example, "in 2007, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of childhood obesity (21.9%), while Oregon had the lowest (9.6%)." The former "also had the highest proportion of children who were overweight (44.5%), while Utah had the lowest proportion (23.1%)."
CDC, other groups outline plan to encourage physical activity among Americans. USA Today (5/4, Hellmich) reports that daily physical activity for children and adults is "among the goals that could be achieved with comprehensive, wide-ranging strategies outlined in the new US National Physical Activity Plan, which is being released today by an expert panel representing influential health organizations. Among groups involved are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society." The objective is "to create an environment in which Americans can be physically active where they live, work and play." Notably, "experts have been encouraging people to be physically active for years because it lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and a long list of other health problems."