Nearly Half of South City Children Overweight

Nearly half the children in South San Francisco are overweight or obese, according to a study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.

South San Francisco's rate, 47 percent, is significantly higher than the 38 percent of California children who are overweight and obese statewide and the 34.1 percent in San Mateo County.

The study broke down the rates of childhood overweight and obesity in 250 
California cities with populations of at least 20,000, examining data from the California Department of Education’s  2010 Physical Fitness Tests.

Out of 250 cities, South San Francisco had the 27th highest rate of overweight and obese children. It had the highest rate of 11 cities studied in San Mateo County (Burlingame ranked lowest at 24.4 percent).

The study's authors recommend eliminating junk food and soda sales at schools, implementing taxes on sugary drinks, maintaining physical education and creating walkable and bikeable communities as ways to improve childhood fitness and health.

Are you surprised South San Francisco has such a high rate of overweight and obese children? Why? Tell us in the comments.