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Study: Childhood obesity in U.S. accelerated during pandemic:
A new study ties the COVID-19 pandemic to an "alarming" increase in obesity in U.S. children and teenagers.
Childhood obesity has been increasing for decades, but the new work suggests an acceleration last year — especially in those who already were obese when the pandemic started.
The results signal a "profound increase in weight gain for kids" and are "substantial and alarming," said one of the study's authors, Dr. Alyson Goodman of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It's also a sign of a vicious cycle. The pandemic appears to be worsening the nation's longstanding obesity epidemic, and obesity can put people at risk for more severe illness after coronavirus infection.
The CDC on Thursday released the study, which is the largest yet to look at obesity trends during the pandemic.
It found:
- An estimated 22% of children and teens were obese last August, up from 19% a year earlier.
- Before the pandemic, children who were a healthy weight were gaining an average of 3.4 pounds a year. That rose to 5.4 pounds during the pandemic.
- For kids who were moderately obese, expected weight gain rose from 6.5 pounds a year before the pandemic to 12 pounds after the pandemic began.
- For severely obese kids, expected annual weight gain went from 8.8 pounds to 14.6 pounds.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @12:42AM (7 children)
For the love of God won't someone think of the precious chillllldrennnnn? We can't have them running around outside where Corona-chan might seduce them into an unholy life of vice and turpitude! They must be safely indoors with Mummy and Daddy and their best babysitter: Friend Internet!
Oh noes, they put on weight, who could possibly have foreseen this entirely shocking turn of events? Panic! Run for the hills! No, wait, don't run for the hills because Lady Corona is out there, flashing sexy ankle from her limo where she preys on innocent kiddies!
Of course, realistically, they'd be at greater risk of being run over while running around than being severely affected by COVID-19, but nobody's budget depends on that.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @01:59AM (6 children)
You seem to have accidentally forgotten or overlooked the fact that children are perfectly capable of transmitting covid, even if they may suffer no ill effects at all.
How many Typhoid Maries did you want out there?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @10:43AM (2 children)
And you seem to have forgotten or overlooked that there is a vaccine available to everyone for free that protects them from COVID (unless the Government and media are lying to us).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @05:20PM (1 child)
>> unless the Government and media are lying to us
Why would you assume they aren't?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @07:31PM
Which government and which media? Different ones say completely opposite things.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @03:26PM (1 child)
All those republican governors and right wing talk show hosts must really be RINOs working to kill off the Trumpets from the inside. After all, they're pretty much all vaccinated, they just try to avoid admitting it.
21st century and viruses are still doing what they've always done - taken advantage of ignorance to cull the stupid.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @07:33PM
It's all about making the current Prez look bad and getting red voters hopping mad for the mid-term elections. Yes it's that simple.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 18 2021, @04:00PM
OK, smart guy, let's look at the actual numbers on the ground.
The in-the-wild, total mortality rate across the broad population appears to be (based on, for example, the case of Sweden), if they are largely unprotected, under 2%. In fact, under 1%. So far, after about 18 months of febrile panic and super-spreader events whipsawing the country from open to closed, the USA has a demonstrated total mortality from COVID, including dubious cases and cases with substantial comorbidities, of under 1/2%. By a country mile - last I heard mortality was under 1 million, and the country contains around 350 million people.
So explain again how this calculus results in anything like the level of concern generated by typhoid?