MILWAUKEE — A new report says Wisconsin isn't doing any better on curbing the obesity rate for preschoolers from low-income families.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 18 states have experienced declines in childhood obesity in the past five years. Wisconsin is not one of them.
The Badger State is among 20 that have held steady on the prevalence of obesity among children 2 to 4 whose families were enrolled in the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provides food vouchers and other services.
In Wisconsin, 31% of preschool children participating in the WIC program are considered overweight or obese. Nationwide, 1 in 8 preschoolers from low-income families is obese, and the prevalence is even higher among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children.
