CBS pushes study blaming climate change for rising childhood obesity rates

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CBS Mornings: Study shows climate change causes childhood obesity

CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson promoted a study on Thursday that claimed climate change and hotter temperatures have an effect on childhood obesity.

"CBS Mornings" pushed a recent study connecting climate change and hotter temperatures with childhood obesity rates in a ridiculed segment on Thursday.

Co-host Nate Burleson introduced the study published in the journal "Temperature" that argued "climate change, specifically warmer temperatures is making our children more inactive and more obese."

Burleson said the study found that children were 30% less "aerobically fit" than their parents and claimed hotter temperatures were preventing kids from exercising outside.

Although the segment focused primarily on climate change, Burleson acknowledged that technology was likely a factor in rising childhood obesity cases.

Childhood obesity rates increased in 2022. (iStock)

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"Now listen, it has been a lot hotter, and the weather has been crazy, but I think it also has to do with technology, you know. It’s one thing not to go outside, but these kids don’t go outside because they can stay inside and be on their phones, play video games, and be social without having to go outside and be social," Burleson said.

Several Twitter users, however, attacked the segment for emphasizing "climate change" as a factor in childhood obesity without also recognizing coronavirus lockdowns.

"Do you think it could be... nah, couldn't be. Must be the climate change," Deseret News contributing writer Bethany Mandel joked.

Hans Mahncke, co-host of "Truth Over News" on EpochTV, tweeted, "They made kids fat by shutting schools, playgrounds, parks and beaches. Predictably, they're now blaming ‘climate change.’ If there aren't severe penalties for the fraudsters who pushed lockdowns, it'll happen again."

"Climate change? Ffs," National Review journalist Claude Thompson wrote.

Studies have shown that school lockdowns had an effect on childhood obesity. (WCAT LLC)

Former congresswoman Nan Hayworth tweeted, "NO. NO. NO. Many factors contribute to children's lack of fitness, but climate change is NOT one of them. This is propaganda that CBS, as with all ‘mainstream’ media, pushes to scare Americans into accepting Government intervention--at any cost!!--against climate *apocalypse*"

Washington Free Beacon reporter Joe Gabriel Simonson attacked "CBS Mornings" directly for misrepresenting the study to push a climate agenda.

"[T]his seemed too insane even for left-wing climate scientists so I read the study summary. the authors don't blame climate change for children getting fatter, but that fat children may have a harder time dealing with climate change because fat people don't do as well in the heat," Simonson tweeted.

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A study posted in the National Library of Medicine in July found that a "significant weight increase was reported in the majority of subjects," especially those with pre-existing weight issues, during coronavirus lockdowns.

President Biden has announced a series of executive actions to combat climate change. (Noah Berger/AP)

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It concluded, "Data analysis clearly demonstrated the detrimental impact of COVID-19 lockdown on children and adolescents’ body weight and BMI, children with pre-existing overweight/obesity being more at risk of gaining weight."