Striking Number of Obesity Risks Hit Minority Kids

CHICAGO (AP) — The odds of obesity appear stacked against black and Hispanic children starting even before birth, new research suggests.

The findings help explain disproportionately high obesity rates in minority children. Family income is often a factor, but so are cultural customs and beliefs, the study authors said.

They examined more than a dozen circumstances that can increase chances of obesity, and almost every one was more common in black and Hispanic children than in whites. Factors included eating and sleeping habits in infancy and early childhood and mothers smoking during pregnancy.

In a separate study, researchers found signs of inflammation in obese children as young as 3 years old. High levels were more common in blacks and Hispanics.

These inflammatory markers have been linked with obesity in adults and are thought to increase chances for developing heart disease. Their significance in early childhood is uncertain, but the study’s lead author says she never thought they’d be found in children so young.

“We think that fat cells in the body cause inflammation and that inflammation causes vessel damage,” said University of North Carolina researcher Asheley Cockrell Skinner, the lead author.

The results suggest that 3-year-olds with inflammation might already have artery changes that could make them prone to later heart problems, although that needs to be examined in future research, she said.

Both studies were released recently in the journal Pediatrics.

On the Net: American Academy of Pediatrics: http://aap.org.

California’s Teen Birth Rate Reaches Record Low

SACRAMENTO (CDPH) — Births to teenage mothers have dropped to a record low in California, according to Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

In 2008, the rate of births among mothers ages 15 to 19 was 35.2 for every 1,000 females, a decline from the rate of 37.1 births in the previous year and lower than ever before. In California, 51,704 babies were born to teen mothers in 2008.

Since 1991, California has experienced a decline in teen births. The teen birth rate in 1991 was 70.9, more than twice as high as the most recent rate.

Information: www.cdph.ca.gov.

Beverly Hills Cancer Center Offers Free Health Screenings

The Beverly Hills Cancer Center is offering free screening tests for prostate and colon cancer on Wednesdays from March to June, 2 to 4 p.m. On April 3 and June 5, screenings will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Screenings are by appointment only.

The center is at 8900 Wilshire Blvd., second floor, Beverly Hills.

Information: (310) 432-8902.

Schwarzenegger, Clinton Discuss Obesity at Summit

(AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Feb. 24 weighed in on California’s pricey battle with obesity.

Alongside former President Bill Clinton, who underwent heart surgery to open a clogged artery in February, Schwarzenegger discussed solutions to the obesity crisis at a summit of leaders in the public and private sectors of health care in Los Angeles.

“I’m very proud that the state of California is the first state that has banned soda from vending machines in public schools,” said Schwarzenegger, a former champion bodybuilder. “Now we’re going to get rid of these sports drinks that are full of sugar and make our kids overweight.”

In a spate of bills announced Feb. 24 and sponsored by the Republican governor, California will target child obesity by reducing access to sugar while increasing physical activity.

One bill would increase moderate to vigorous activity in physical education classes.

Another bill calls for improved access to fresh drinking water while banning sugary “sports drinks” from California public schools.

In California, about one in nine children, one in three teens, and three in five adults are overweight or obese.

Swine Flu Vaccine Clinic to Provide ‘Shots on the Spot’

A free onsite clinic providing swine flu vaccines will take place March 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Los AngelesSouthwest College, 1600 W. Imperial Highway, Los Angeles.

Information: (213) 240-7941.