Kids are 74 percent more likely to be obese if their parents have short-lived educations, according to a study by the national food institute, DTU Food
The number of obese boys aged 4 to 14 rose significantly between 2000 and 2008, rising from 12.8 to 21.7 percent of the age group. However, the percentage of girls stayed roughly the same.
“The study shows that efforts to prevent obesity should target parents with short educations and their kids – especially the boys,” senior consultant Jeppe Matthiessen of DTU Food told Ekstra Bladet tabloid.
Obesity dangerous
Obese and overweight kids have an increased risk of getting type 2 diabetes and heart diseases when they become adults.
While the study doesn’t say why obesity is worse among boys than girls, Matthiessen mentioned that boys spend more time in front of a screen and less time doing sports as one of the reasons.
