Community Corner

Study: 18.3 Percent of Newport Beach Kids Tip the Scales

But compared to other Orange County cities, Newport Beach had the second lowest percentage of overweight children.

A study released by UCLA researchers shows about 18 percent of children in Newport Beach are overweight or obese.

The study, released in June by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, analyzed fifth, seventh and ninth grade school children across 250 cities. The Overweight and Obesity among Children by California City–2010 was the first study of its kind and found childhood obesity rates persisting throughout the state.

The study used data from the California Department of Education’s 2010 Physical Fitness Tests.

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the report, in 2010 18.3 percent of kids in Newport Beach and 33.3 percent of Orange County children were overweight or obese. Of the 27 Orange County cities studied in the report, Laguna Beach had the lowest percentage with 14.3 percent, followed by Newport Beach at 18.3 percent and a steady climb all the way up to Stanton who had the highest with 51.8 percent of its children ranked as overweight or obese. 

Across the state, Manhattan Beach had the lowest amount of overweight children coming in at 11 percent, while the highest was Huntington Park at 53 percent. Overall, California has 38 percent of its children ranking as overweight or obese.

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In order to address the health crisis, researchers say state and local leaders must work to improve conditions in schools and communities to help parents and children make healthier lifestyle choices. Suggestions include removing high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie foods and beverages from school districts, opening school recreational facilities after hours for community use and making streets and roadways more accessible for those who walk, bike and use wheelchairs.

To read the report and see how other cities rank on the state's childhood obesity report click here.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here