Case Western study: Obesity, cavities among kids linked to poverty

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found a link between obesity and cavities among poor children (Source: "Dental issues have big effects in poor kids," Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 30, 2012).

“It’s not the obesity causing the cavities or the cavities causing obesity,” said Peg DiMarco, an associate professor of nursing and the author of the study, which examined health data of homeless children in Akron. “Poverty is the underlying cause of both.”

The study of homeless children in Akron, which was published last year in the Journal of Pediatric Health, concluded that a lack of access to fresh, healthful foods and to basic dental care is the cause of both problems.

While the dangers of childhood obesity are well documented, DiMarco said poor dental health receives much less attention. "Cavities are a silent epidemic, and they’re the No. 1 chronic infectious disease in children,” she said.