These days, people are concerned about the growing number of kids who are overweight. Do you know why? Kids know it's a problem, too. We recently asked 1, 168 boys and girls about the problem. More than half of them (52%) said that too many kids were overweight. "This is important because knowing there is a problem is the first step to solve the problem," said Dr Sandra Hassink, a doctor in Delaware who helps kids with weight problems. What does "overweight" mean? Most people who are overweight have too much body fat. The person who is overweight weighs more than a healthy person, considering age, height, and whether the person is a boy or a girl. When asked why some kids were overweight, many of the kids (54%) said it was because overweight kids didn't exercise enough or eat right. Others said that kids were overweight because fast food restaurants served the wrong foods. The research also asked the kids some questions about themselves. Most of the group (78%) said they were either the right weight or underweight. The rest of the group thought they were overweight, with 4% of the kids saying that they were very overweight. The research results don't prove that 4% of the kids were very overweight, but it shows that 4% of the kids believed they were overweight and answered in that way. On top of that ,54% of the kids said they worried or stre ssed out about their weight, with more girls feeling in this way. Of those who said they never worry about their weight, 59% were boys and 33% were girls. |