Obesity affects nearly one in five children, with higher rates among communities of color. A review of research on childhood obesity during the pandemic indicates that what was a problem before COVID-19 is even more so after the last two years of altered behaviors.
According to one 2021 study, researchers found that young people ages two–19 had a monthly rate of increase in BMI that nearly doubled during COVID when compared with a pre-pandemic period.
On this episode of Curious Campus, we chat with two experts in childhood obesity. Julie Snethen is a professor and director of the Ph.D. program at UWM’s College of Nursing. Cindy Greenberg is dean of the College of Health and Human Development at California State University, Fullerton.