UCLA Study Finds that Low Income Teens More Prone to Obesity

California is known as the land of fresh fruit, warm weather and sunshine, but it seems that the low income teenagers in the state do not get out to enjoy it as much as they should. Research released by UCLA shows that low income teens are more likely to live in neighborhoods with the temptations of fast food and fewer parks offering places to get outside and partake in healthy physical activity. The combination of lack of exercise and fast food diet is being held responsible for the higher rates of obesity in teenagers who live in low income households.

Low income teens in California are more prone to obesity than the more affluent of their age group, according to the press release from the University of California- Los Angeles. New research for the UCL Center for Health Policy Research concludes that low-income teens are nearly three times more likely to be obese than peers from more affluent households.

The results are stunning. 21 percents of California teenagers living in low income households are obese, in contrast to only 8 percent of teenagers living in households with better incomes.

Low income is defined as an income of less than $19.971 for a family of four or $12,755 for a family of two, according to federal poverty guidelines.

California is a large and heavily populated state, so the numbers are huge. The study estimates that there are about 480,000 obese adolescents from all income levels. The higher level of obesity in low income teenagers is attributed to the high number of fast food restaurants coupled with the low number of parks and opportunities for physical activity in the low income neighborhoods.

Authors of the policy brief are calling for policymakers and city planners to place a moratorium on fast food restaurants and providing incentive for grocery stores to stock fresh fruits and vegetables.

Following are findings from the study, which found that compared to their more affluent peers, low iincome teens:

More sugary soda is consumed by low income teens. 67 to 71 percent drink at one or more can or glass of soda on a daily basis compared to the more affluent teens.

Low income teens eat more fast food, 46 to 49 percent eat fast food regualrly compared to 37 percent of the more affluent teens.

Low income teens have fewer family meals. Up to 11 percent reported that they had not eaten their dinner with a parent or guardian during the previous week, more than twice the rate of the more affluent teens.

Low income teens have less physical activity, with 18 percent, not getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity in a week.

Low income teens watch more television, with 56 watching over two hours of TV daily compared to 46 percent or the more affluent teens.

The recommendations of the authors of the study to stop allowing fast food restaurants while creating an environment where physical activity and exercised are encouraged would give the teen agers in low income areas a nudge toward a more healthy lifestyle, where fresh foods are consumed instead of fast foods and exercise is part of everyday life.

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