In California, children from low-income households are nearly three times more likely to be obese as children from affluent households, according to a new UCLA report. Statewide, 21 percent of teens living in low-income families are obese, researchers said, compared to eight percent of teens from more affluent families. The researchers blamed the disparity in obesity on a higher intake of sugary soda and fast food, fewer opportunities to participate in organized sports, more television watched, and less general physical activity. High numbers of fast-food restaurants and low numbers of parks in poorer neighborhoods contribute to the problem, they said. “Our neighborhoods are literally making us fat,” said Susan H. Babey, one of the policy brief’s authors. “We need better strategies and more thoughtful urban planning if we’re going to make our towns and cities livable, not just places where we live.”<\/p>\n