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Childhood Obesity Epidemic |
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Childhood diabetes
- Increase in childhood obesity in the past 25 years: 2.3-to-3.3 fold
- Estimated increase, in the past 20 years, in the prevalence of childhood diabetes: 10-fold
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Soft drinks
- Increase in per capita consumption of soft drinks, 1950s to today: 500%
- Amount that one additional soft drink per day increases a child's risk for obesity: 60%
- Percentage of school districts that have contracts with soft-drink companies, allowing them to sell soft drinks on school premises: 50%
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Food ads
- Number of food ads viewed by the average child each year: 10,000
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- Percentage of these that advertise fast food, soft drinks, candy, or sugared cereals: 95%
- Estimated annual amount spent on food advertising aimed at U.S. children: $10 billion
- Budget for the "Five a Day" program, a federal educational program to increase fruit and vegetable consumption: $1.1 million
- Ratio of the entire federal budget for nutrition education, compared with the advertising costs for Altoids mints: 1/5
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Physical activity
- Increase in risk for childhood obesity per hour of daily television viewing: 12%
- Decrease in risk for childhood obesity per hour of exercise: 10%
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Costs of obesity
- Average charge for coronary by-pass surgery: $60,853
- Estimated average cost of three one-hour sessions with a dietitian at an obesity clinic: $180
- Annual direct costs of obesity to the American economy: $70 billion
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Courtesy of:
Dream Magazine, Winter 2004, published by Children's Hospital Boston. All rights reserved.
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