california overweight by city

overweight and obesity among children by california city - 2010

OVERVIEW. In June 2012, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released data on the childhood obesity epidemic in California cities. Overweight and Obesity among Children by California City – 2010, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shows the health of California’s children is all over the map with shocking discrepancies based on locale.

THE STUDY. To determine California’s 2010 childhood by city, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research examined geographical variation in overweight and obesity among 5th, 7th, and 9th grade school children in California using data from the California Department of Education’s  2010 Physical Fitness Tests. Rates were reported for incorporated cities with populations of at least 20,000 and with PFT reporting of at least 70 percent. Read the policy brief here.

FINDINGS. Over 250 California cities were analyzed for the study and revealed that while 38 percent of the state’s children are overweight or obese, city ranges begin as low as 11 percent (Manhattan Beach) and climb five-fold to 53 percent for the state’s poorest performing city (Huntington Park). To see an interactive database of 2010 childhood obesity rates by city, click here. 

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. The epidemic of childhood obesity will not be solved by calling for individual behavior change alone. To address this health crisis, state and local leaders must address the conditions in schools and communities that contribute to the epidemic and undermine parents’ efforts to protect their children’s health. Actions that can be taken are included on this list of policy recommendations.

• City List (Percentage Order)
• City List by County
• Small Cities List (population less than 20,000)
• County Fact Sheets

  Alameda	Monterey	Santa Clara
  Butte	Orange	Santa Cruz
  Contra Costa	Riverside	Solano
  Fresno	Sacramento	Sonoma
  Kern	San Bernardino	Stanislaus
  Los Angeles	San Diego	Tulare
  Marin	San Joaquin	Ventura
  Merced	San Mateo

• Infographics on Childhood Obesity are available as a single PDF or individual JPGS:
  • Obesity Figures
  • Causes
  • Obesity Cost to CA
  • 30-year Increase
  • Obesity by Ethnicity
  • Obesity and Chronic Diseases

PRESS COVERAGE OF THE STUDY.