Study Says Nebraska Kids Among Nation's Fattest, Adults Not Far Behind

Media reports are saying that a new study finds Nebraska’s kids are becoming just as sedentary and chunky as their parents.

The report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds almost 30% of Nebraska children between the ages of 10 and 17 are overweight or obese.

The report also found almost 17% of young Nebraska children, between the ages of two and four years, were overweight or obese.

The obesity report for young children ranks Nebraska the 5th worst state in the nation.

It follows a report earlier this month that found 32% of Nebraska adults in that category.  Nebraska is the 13th most obese state, a rate that’s also holding steady.

Parents are a tremendous influence on their children in many ways, so given the number of obese Nebraska adults, it’s little surprise so many children are shaping up the same way.

“It’s what’s being served and sold in schools, what kind of physical activity policies are in place in schools,” one expert says. “It’s also the practice of eating healthfully and being physically active and there have often been recommendations that parents and kids be active together, walk outside together, so that the parents can model healthy behavior.”