Childhood Obesity Drops In RI; Pandemic Behind U.S. Spike

The coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of Rhode Island residents in numerous ways. Now, early evidence suggests the pandemic has likely also contributed to an increase in childhood obesity, according to a new report.

The nationwide obesity rate for children ages 2-19 increased from 19.3 percent in 2019 to 22.4 percent in 2020, according to the 2021 State of Childhood Obesity report released Wednesday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In children ages 10-17, just over 16 percent were considered obese.

The report also found children of color were affected at disproportionate rates. Just under 24 percent of Black children ages 10-17 were considered obese, along with 21.4 percent of Hispanic children.

Meanwhile, the percentage of white children struggling with obesity was substantially lower — about 12.1 percent.

To determine the childhood obesity rate for 2020, researchers looked at the newest available data from the National Survey of Children's Health. Data was collected from June 2020 to January 2021.

In Rhode Island, the obesity rate for kids ages 10-17 was 16.7 percent, a figure that’s fluctuated up and down over the past few years, according to the report. The 2019 childhood obesity rate in our state was 17.5 percent.

Here’s a glimpse of the state of obesity in Rhode Island in 2020:

• Children ages 2-4 participating in the WIC supplemental nutrition program: 17.1 percent
• High school students considered obese: 14.3 percent
• Adults considered obese: 30.1 percent
• Adults with diabetes: 10.4 percent
• Adults with hypertension: 33 percent

Also, here’s a look at other childhood nutrition data in our state:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recipients: 145,910
• Children ages 10-17 on SNAP: 50,000
• Students eligible for free and reduced-cost lunch: 77,578

In all, our state ranks 19 among all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The nationwide spike in childhood obesity, report authors say, can likely be traced to the pandemic, which has resulted in an increase in food insecurity — or the inability to afford healthy foods — during the pandemic.

The pandemic also disrupted the food supply chain and dramatically changed what was available in stores. Finally, loss of jobs meant loss of income, forcing parents to change their shopping habits and increasingly rely on non-perishable foods.

Structural racism also played a role.

“We also know that racist policies and discriminatory practices put kids of color, and children and families who live furthest from economic opportunity, at high risk for obesity,” researcher Jamie Bussell said in the report. “These challenges are deep-rooted, systemic, and interconnected — but they are not intractable.”

Children who struggle with obesity are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other serious health conditions, according to the report. The authors call for policy reform to address what they say is a growing issue.

Among proposed policy changes: strengthening of federal programs such as WIC, SNAP and school meals. Other proposals include increasing a child’s access to healthy foods — a “basic human right,” according to report authors — as well as prioritizing the creation of a more sustainable food system.

“To build a healthier nation for the next generation, we must work to dismantle structural racism and reform our policies,” the report reads.

At 23.8 percent, Kentucky had the highest obesity rate for kids ages 10-17. Montana had the lowest at 10 percent.

Six states had youth obesity rates significantly higher than the national rate including Kentucky at 23.9 percent, Mississippi at 22.3 percent, Louisiana at 22.2 percent, West Virginia at 21.9 percent, Alabama at 21.8 percent, and Tennessee at 20.8 percent.

See the full 2021 State of Childhood Obesity report.