Lack of food may not be the culprit in low-income kids' obesity, study finds

New research discounts a common theory on why poor children are more likely to be overweight than children from wealthier families.

Iowa State University researchers say their analysis shows that a lack of food isn't necessarily to blame, though they are not sure why so many children from low-income families are overweight.

Previous research has suggested that poor children weren't getting nutritious food and instead ate junk food, such as hot dogs. Or that children may have eaten well when money was available, but would skip meals when cash was short, a cycle that could slow their metabolism and cause them to gain weight.

By challenging those theories, the study authors hope to encourage more research. Some studies show that nearly one-third of American children ages 10-17 are overweight or obese, and that nearly 40 percent of those children are from low-income households.

Read the whole article by Amy Lorentzen, Associated Press, printed in the San Francisco Chronicle, January 22, 2008, by clicking here.