Tennessee Ranked Top 5 for Childhood Obesity

By Brittney L Jackson

Based on the most recent data, Tennessee has the fifth-highest childhood obesity rate at 20.5 percent in kids from ages 10-17, according to a project study by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The latest data is from 2011.

“A multi-disciplinary, or multi-factor approach to combat childhood obesity is required,” Tennova Walk-in Clinic Nurse Practitioner Fred J. Sesti said. “This would include parental involvement, school involvement, societal changes and support from food and beverage industries.”

It is important to teach kids about nutrition and how they can make healthy food choices on a daily basis.

Read more on The Jackson Sun.