Obesity among children in elementary school on the rise

(KYMA, KECY/ NBC News) - Obesity among children in elementary school is on the rise, according to researchers from Emory University.

They followed kindergarten cohorts in 1998 and 2010 at multiple time-points through 5th grade in 2004 and 2016, respectively.

They found that obesity during primary school increased more during the 2000's than it did a decade earlier.

Over 72% of children had a normal BMI (Body Mass Index) in 1998. 12 years later, the percentage of children starting school with a normal BMI decreased to 69%

They also found that obesity was more common among African American children in the later group, compared to the earlier one.