Connecticut lawmakers heard testimony this week in support of a bill that seeks to combat child obesity at an early age.
The legislation would increase physical activity and limit or ban the serving of sweetened beverages in childcare settings.
Sally Mancini, with UConn’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, says early childhood is a good time to take steps to combat child obesity.
“It’s estimated that 75 percent of children spend time in childcare for an average of 35 hours per week. So kids are in childcare settings and it’s an obvious place to start looking at setting strong nutrition standards and physical activity standards.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 percent of Connecticut residents are obese.
This report contains information from CRN.
