Report: Youth obesity in Vermont leads NY, NH

(WCAX)
Published: Oct. 21, 2019 at 3:46 PM EDT
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Vermont youth between the ages of 10 and 17 had higher obesity rates in 2018 than two of our neighboring states according to a UVM Medical Center report.

The latest obesity report from the Robert Wood Johnson foundation says New Hampshire and New York have higher obesity rates than Vermont in adults 18 and older. However, for children aged 10 to 17 a new UVM report revealed that Vermont has the higher rates of obesity than the other two.

"In kids, we think a lot about what are the structures around kids that can help them -- school sports, other school activities, organizations that get kids outside," said pediatrician Dr. Stan Weinberger. He says there are multiple factors that lead to obesity in children. "We're a state that likes the outdoors, we live in a place where it's cold at least six months out of the year, sometimes more. Other causitive factors that people think about are we're a rural state, what's our access to differnt modes of exercise?"

A few Vermonters we spoke with believe it has something to do with the use of handheld devices."My first thought is electronics too, kids aren't -- not even kids, adults -- aren't out as much, they're sitting on thier phones more. That's what they're doing more and so less getting outside, going for a walk, riding a bike, getting in a canoe and doing that stuff," said J.P. Coseno, a Vermont resident.

Pediatricians note that the statistics from the Foundation's reports fluctuate year-to-year, and these are just the numbers for the 2018 report. However, it's a report that the UVM Medical Center Children's Hospital says is important for both treatment and research. "In general this kind of data drives what we do and drives what we focus on with families when we see them in clinic," Dr. Weinberger said.