Black, Hispanic children at higher risk for obesity

From The Star-Tribune in Minneapolis:

The odds of obesity appear stacked against black and Hispanic children, starting even before birth, new research suggests.

The findings help explain disproportionately high obesity rates in minority children. Family income is often a factor, but so are cultural customs and beliefs, the study authors said.

They examined more than a dozen circumstances that can increase chances of obesity, and almost every one was more common in black and Hispanic children than in whites. Factors include eating and sleeping habits in early childhood and mothers smoking during pregnancy.

In a separate study, researchers found signs of inflammation in obese children as young as 3 years old. High levels were more common in blacks and Hispanics. These inflammatory markers have been linked with obesity in adults and are thought to increase the chances of developing heart disease.

Both studies appear in the journal Pediatrics