~SUSTAINABLE LIVING FOR CHALLENGING TIMES

[HowardHughs]

And: Childhood Obesity Is Rising 'Shockingly Fast' — Even In Poor Countries

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/10/17/770905500/childhood-obesity-is-rising-shockingly-fast-even-in-poor-countries

at least 340 million adolescents worldwide between ages 5-19, and 40 million children under age 5, have been classified as overweight, the report found. The most profound increase has been in the 5-19 age group, where the global rate of overweight increased from 10.3% in 2000 to 18.4% in 2018.

"It's a shockingly fast increase," says Laurence Chandy, director of UNICEF's Office of Global Insights and Policy and a lead author of the report. "It's hard to think of any development indicator where you see such a rapid deterioration."

The U.S. is near the top of the list, with a rate of adolescent overweight around 42%

as processed food and beverages become cheaper and more widely available, levels of childhood obesity that were once the domain of rich countries are now occurring at lower and lower household income levels, particularly in Africa and South Asia. In 2000, only around one-fifth of low-income countries had an adolescent population in which at least 10% were classified as overweight; in 2016, three-quarters of those countries met that threshold.
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I grew up in a rural community and I watched Saturday morning cartoons and adds selling Fruity Pebbles,Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms ..................