By Nadia Ramlagan
Public News Service
In Kentucky, nearly one in five youths from ages 6-17 are obese, according to new county-level data on measures of child well-being in the Commonwealth.
The increase mirrors a nationwide trend. There has been a more than 270% increase in the number of obese children compared to the 1970s.
Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said that while more kids are hungry today, more kids are also obese, adding that the solutions are not quick hits.
“It involves more access, more affordability when it comes to nutritious and fresh foods, especially for vulnerable families,” Brooks said. “It’s recalibrating after the hiccup with SNAP.”
Most Kentucky schools can provide free meals to all students through the Community Eligibility Provision and national research shows those participating schools saw a relative reduction in obesity compared to nonparticipating schools.
Aliete Yanes Medina, a Jefferson County senior high school student, said social media can trigger mental health problems in students who don’t have a certain body type.
“Sometimes if they don’t look the same as they see in social media, they may think that they are less worthy,” Medina said. “It’s honestly something really, really sad.”
Karena Cash, data and research director for Kentucky Youth Advocates, explained food insecurity is closely linked to poor nutrition.
“Parents just having to rely on really cheap, ultra processed food that’s closely associated with obesity,” Cash said. “We also know that kids struggle to access food because they just don’t live close to grocery stores.”
Research shows kids living in high-poverty neighborhoods — a reality for nearly one in three children in Kentucky — are at higher risk of developing obesity throughout their childhood and adolescence.