The rise in obesity could stem from sedentary behavior now that schools have shut down and afterschool sports and other activities have stopped.
Stay-at-Home Orders Could Mean More Obese Kids: Study
MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As if the childhood obesity epidemic isn't bad enough, new research warns that over one million more American boys and girls stand to become obese if coronavirus-related school closures continue through the end of the year.
The culprit: a steep rise in sedentary behavior following the spring shutdown of school and afterschool sports and activities across all 50 states.
"If school closures continue to the end of 2020 -- due to unsubdued community transmission of COVID-19 -- the childhood obesity rate in the U.S. might further increase by 2.4%," said study author Ruopeng An. He's an assistant professor with the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.