Does summertime widen kids' waistlines?

Do kids play less and eat more junk food during the summer? If so, it's likely they'd pack on more pounds, too. I'm a big supporter of solid school nutrition programs, but what happens to kids when the bell rings and they're back home for the summer?

A New York Times article explored this question just the other day. There's not much research on the subject, but one study from 1998-99 revealed body mass index for kindergarteners and 1st graders increased two to three times as fast in the summer as during the regular school year. Minority and already overweight kids were even more at risk for summertime weight gain. While school nutrition might not be the best, this study suggests the school year does deliver structured eating times and guaranteed movement if kids are lucky enough to have gym and recess every day.

However not every kid heads to an activity-filled summer day camp with a healthy-packed lunch and snacks in hand. Also, for kids privileged to attend an extended away camp, is camp nutrition necessarily any better than many of our nation's fat-filled school nutrition programs? What about kids hanging out at home, are they eating more and moving less? As the article points out, children staying at home don't run from one activity to another like a day camper. Even worse, kids from low-income families often spend summer at home unsupervised. Personally, I'm a stay-at-home mom and our oldest is just entering 1st grade, so I have no perspective. My kids pretty much eat the same year-round. Any parents with school-age children have thoughts to share?