Causes of childhood obesity and $3.4 million study

Abstract

Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. What are the causes for the rise of childhood obesity? An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Minnesota, led by epidemiologist Leslie Lytle, aims to find out. <clip: Lytle’s five-year research project, funded by a $3.4 million federal grant, will take a broad-based approach, examining 400 youth and their families. Some factors she’ll look at include individual diet and exercise, family medical history and family eating behaviors, school policies regarding lunches and physical education, and geographic issues, such as the presence of neighborhood sidewalks, and access to convenience stores and fast-food restaurants. <clip: With another Public Health Moment, I’m John Finnegan.