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Race/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Body Mass Index (BMI) and the Resulting Spread of Obesity and “Adult-Onset” Diabetes Epidemics Among Adolescents

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Management of Pediatric Obesity and Diabetes

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Key Points

Obesity among adolescents and young adults is a growing public health concern and disproportionately affects certain race/ethnic groups more than others. This chapter discusses how socioeconomic status, eating behavior, and exercise behavior as adolescents can help explain disparities in obesity rates among race/ethnic groups as young adults.

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Acknowledgments

The author wishes to acknowledge the individuals affiliated with the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program at the Population Research Center at University of Texas at Austin, who provided invaluable conceptual and empirical guidance, as well as financial support, for this research. In particular, the author thanks Dr. Robert Hummer for his help with designing the conceptual pathway of the research and analyzing the results. The author also wishes to recognize Starling Pullum and Ginger Gossman, who helped with developing programming code and interpreting the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA

    Katherine E. Neubecker MD

Authors
  1. Katherine E. Neubecker MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UT Health Science Center at Memphis, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, North Dunlap Street 50, Memphis, 38103, Tennessee, USA

    Robert J. Ferry, Jr.

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Neubecker, K.E. (2011). Race/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Body Mass Index (BMI) and the Resulting Spread of Obesity and “Adult-Onset” Diabetes Epidemics Among Adolescents. In: Ferry, Jr., R. (eds) Management of Pediatric Obesity and Diabetes. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-256-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-256-8_4

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-255-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-256-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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