A landmark study released by the American Journal of Public Health just days before the close of 2006 revealed an alarming trend: Latino pre-schoolers are twice as likely as white or black children to be overweight or obese.

The researchers couldn’t explain it, but two Latinas may very well hold the answer in their book “Gordito Doesn’t Mean Healthy: What Every Latina Mother Needs to Know to Raise Fit, Happy, Healthy Kids.”

For as long as anyone can remember, being gordo or chubby has been a sign of health in the Hispanic culture. Parents knew their children were getting enough to eat if no bones were showing. Yet, what has developed over the years is less a sign of healthy eating than a rise in scary statistics.