Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 12:00 AM
By JonChristopher Collins
Childhood obesity has shot up, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and two health professionals are taking aim at several culprits. Today both experts are also urging Missourians to take proactive steps to combat the problem and prevent future dire health consequences.
Pediatric hospitalist Jennifer Serwan worked at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, but now she works at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health. Serwan said it is accurate that 3 in 10 children in the U.S. are obese or overweight, and she confirmed that the pandemic inflamed the challenges. She said the “Show-Me State” is not exempt from this unhealthy trend.
Missouri, according to State of Childhood Obesity, ranks 21st among the rest of the nation. Furthermore, 15.5% of Missouri’s youth from age 10 to 17 are obese, which is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher. However, Serwan said high rates are not a new phenomenon.
“In the past several decades we’ve seen a steady rise in childhood obesity, and it can be attributed to a lot of factors,” Serwan said. She explained that food availability contributes to the situation, adding that “kids are not getting necessarily the most nutritious meals prepared for them at home” when both parents are working.
The article was originally published on and can be read in full on Ozarks DynaCom’s websites.
JonChristopher Collins 