A new study shows that Latin American children are more likely to become obese than their white American counterparts.

According to a recently released paper by Salud America!, via EurekAlert!, obesity in Latino kids is caused by several factors, including poor maternal health, insufficient breastfeeding and environmental issues that affects the child's physical disposition.

The research found that one in four children living in the US are overweight or obese by ages two to five. Latino kids have a 30 percent chance of becoming obese, while white kids have a 21 percent chance.

Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and a health professor at the University of Texas, also revealed that US schools with predominantly Hispanic students usually offer less physical activity programs and less nutritious meals than schools with mostly white American students, per Medical Xpress.

"Healthy school environments are paramount for the proper development of Latino kids, given the rising percentage of Latino students enrolled in public schools and their high rates of obesity," she said.

It was also noticed that most Hispanic-majority schools are more lenient with regards to the snacks and drinks their students consume. Compounding the problem, Hispanic-majority schools tend to have fewer sports facilities than white-majority schools.

An academic institute can only do so much to regulate its students. Ultimately, the bulk of the blame starts much earlier than the child's first steps to kindergarten.

Researchers said 50 percent of Latin American women are either overweight or obese when they get pregnant. Latina mothers who remain sedentary throughout their pregnancy give birth to infants that are twice as heavy as the average baby.

Latina mothers wanting to give birth to healthy babies are heavily advised to improve their nutrition by increasing their intake of fruits and vegetables. A light physical regimen throughout their pregnancy is also recommended.

Researchers concluded that exclusively breastfeeding the infant through age one reduces child obesity by up to 47 percent. However, Latina mothers are less likely to complete the program since they have fewer paid maternity leaves and most of them have jobs in workplaces not conducive for breastfeeding.

Out of the 77 percent of children that are breastfed after birth, only 16 percent are still exclusively breastfed six months later. This is because most women return to work six months after giving birth.

The National Conference of State Legislatures reported that some states like Delaware, Florida and Hawaii allow women to breastfeed in the workplace. Meanwhile, other states like Georgia allow women to breastfeed only if it won't get in the way of their work.