School Gardens May Combat Childhood Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a contributing factor to a variety of chronic diseases (Wang and Lobstein, 2006). Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because it is much more difficult to sustain weight loss than to maintain a healthy weight. Obese children are much more likely to become obese adults; further, restrictive diets for children could result in a diminished supply of nutrients necessary for healthy growth and development (Daniels, 2009; Han, Lawlor, and Kimm, 2010; Ogden et al., 2007). The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has shown that one in six children are obese (Ogden et al., 2012), and the rate is higher among racial minorities and those with fewer economic resources (Ogden et al., 2014).