JACKSON — Mississippi’s obesity rate among young children from low-income families remains stable at 14.5 percent, but officials note the rate is still too high.
A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes obesity levels decreased in 31 states and three territories, but increased significantly in four states — Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia — among 2- to 4-year-olds enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children from 2010 to 2014.
According to the report released Thursday, Utah had the lowest rate of 2- to 4-year-old WIC participants who were obese at 8.2 percent, while Virginia had the highest rate at 20.0 percent. Mississippi’s rate is 23rd highest.
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