In spite of decades of anti-obesity programming, awareness of negative health outcomes associated with obesity, and attention from very important individuals – including First Lady Michelle Obama – the obesity epidemic continues to worsen nationally, hitting African-American and Latino families the hardest.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every four black children is overweight, compared to one in seven white children.  A study published in April 2009 indicates that over 20% of 4 year olds are obese, with the highest numbers among minority populations.[1] Among black teenage girls ages 12 to 19, more than 40% are overweight or at risk of being overweight.[2]

The dramatic upsurge in overweight children is being fueled by several different factors such as  income level, access to grocery stores that provide healthy choices, neighborhood safety and education; these factors have continued to decrease opportunities for physical activity and increase the availability and affordability of snack foods that are high-calorie and low- nutritional value in African-American and Latino communities.  Programs and policies designed to combat these problems have been met with limited success, in part because they have failed to take cultural and racial perceptions of obesity and anti-obesity messages into account.

At NBCDI, we believe that culturally relevant long term interventions which aim to impact obesity in young children by working with their parents and caregivers are the most promising approach to decreasing the incidence of obesity over time.