Minnesota tied for lowest childhood obesity rate
A new report from the Trust for America's Health finds that Minnesota kids have the lowest rate of obesity in the nation - tying with Utah at just over 23 percent.
Jamie Stang, a nutrition expert at the University of Minnesota, says that obesity rates vary dramatically by region of the country.
Stang says that Minnesota's relatively low rate of childhood obesity is due in large part because our children are more active than those in many other parts of the country.
Women with diabetes are 85 percent more likely to suffer from depression during or following pregnancy. That's according to research involving more than 50,000 women.
Research tells us that babies who gain weight rapidly have twice the risk of obesity compared to babies with more gradual weight gain. But researchers know little about how much weight gain in babies is fat as opposed to lean tissue. 
Childhood obesity has been on the rise for more than 20 years. Now, however, the rate appears to have stabilized. 
The University of Minnesota has been awarded nearly $14 million over five years to lead a national study assessing the effects of both environmental and genetic factors on children's health. The lead researcher is University of Minnesota professor Pat McGovern.
Last modified on Monday Jul 02, 2007