Obesity has long been a serious health issue in America, with 36.5% of adults now meeting the CDC's definition. Since preschool children who are overweight face four times the risk of being overweight as adults, the state of Maine and Harvard University have devised guidelines for children known as "5-2-1-0." This concept recommends that children eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, get no more than 2 hours of screen time, perform at least 1 hour of physical activity, and drink 0 sweetened beverages.
A study conducted by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has found, however, that among the 398 children observed during a 24 hour period, only one child met all of the guidelines. Less than 1% met the guideline for exercise; 17% failed to get emough fruits and vegetables; 50% had sugary drinks; and 19% spent too much time in front of a screen. According to the researchers, a quarter of the children in the study were already overweight.