One in five American 4-year olds is obese, according to a study by scholars in Ohio State and Temple Universities. These children are more likely to be obese as adults and suffer from health problems ranging from childhood diabetes to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Obesity rates have been increasing steadily in the United States - 30 years ago, only 5-7% of preschools were obese. The figure was 18% according to a 2001 survey, and it shows no sign of coming down.
Poorer children, who eat less varieties of foods and eat cheaper and more high-calorie food, are more likely to be obese than children of well-off families. And Hispanic children (22%) and African American children (21%) are more likely to be obese than white children (16%).