1.   Other federal statistics show that rates of obesity climb as poverty increases, particularly among minorities.

2.   Poverty increases the chance that children in poverty will exposed to the IQ-lowering effects of lead in peeling paint.

3.   St. George and other specialists were at a loss to explain the poverty increase.

4.   Drug abuse, poor eating habits, having babies at a young age and many other factors linked with poverty increase the risk of having small, premature babies.

5.   Slums will only spread as poverty increases, he said.