Over half of all 5th, 7th, and 9th graders in San Pablo are overweight or obese. In Danville, the rate drops to 16.5%.

City-level childhood overweight and obesity rates were recently released by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.  These rates reveal marked disparities depending on where children live.

On average, 38% of California kids are overweight or obese. The five cities in Contra Costa with rates higher than the state average are also the same five cities with the lowest household incomes in the county (see chart below):

Conversely, the two cities with the lowest childhood obesity rates, Lafayette (17.8%) and Danville (16.5%), are the two cities with the highest incomes in the county, $133,268 and $129,720 respectively.  Coincidence? Unlikely, since it is well documented that chronic health problems are significantly more prevalent among low-income earners. Continue reading →