Skip to content
  • Essence GU
  • Beautycon
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Afropunk
  • Essence Studios
  • Soko Mrkt
  • Ese Funds
  • Refinery29
  • WeLoveUs.shop
  • 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Entrepreneurship
  • News
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
  • Subscribe
Home • News

Should Your Toddler Be on a Diet?

A new study raises alarming questions about the feeding habits of African-American parents. Find out why some are asking if Black toddlers are the new face of obesity.
By Essence · Updated October 29, 2020
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

It seems Black Americans are feeding their toddlers too many big bites. A study shows that 1 in 5 American 4-year-olds are obese and it’s more normal for African-American kids to weigh larger, according to the Associated Press. In fact, researchers were shocked to see differences by race at such a young age. The study determined the results by the toddler’s body-mass index and height-weight ratio. —JW