Childhood Obesity Facts & Statistics

Childhood Obesity Facts & Statistics
Childhood Obesity
Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged
6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents
aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%.
Obesity is the result of caloric imbalance (too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed) and
is mediated by genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-
term health impacts:
 Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or
high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at
least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
 Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea,
and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.
 Obese youth are more likely than youth of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and
therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes,
stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.
Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and
developing related diseases.
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Childhood Obesity Facts & Statistics
Childhood Overweight and Obesity
Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Obesity is a serious health concern for children and adolescents. Results from the 2007-2008 National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated
17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese. Between 1976-1980 and 1999-2000, the
prevalence of obesity increased. Between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008 there was no significant trend in obesity
prevalence.
Among pre-school age children 2-5 years of age, obesity increased from 5 to 10.4% between 1976-1980 and
2007-2008 and from 6.5 to 19.6% among 6-11 year olds. Among adolescents aged 12-19, obesity increased
from 5 to 18.1% during the same period.
Obese children and adolescents are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. For example,
during their youth, obese children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated with
cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes) than are other
children and adolescents.
Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that
approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years.
Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if
overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.
Defining Childhood Overweight and Obesity
Body mass index (BMI) is a practical measure used to determine overweight and obesity. BMI is a measure of
weight in relation to height that is used to determine weight status. BMI can be calculated using either English or
metric units. BMI is the most widely accepted method used to screen for overweight and obesity in children and
adolescents because it is relatively easy to obtain the height and weight measurements needed to calculate
BMI, measurements are non-invasive and BMI correlates with body fatness.6 While BMI is an accepted
screening tool for the initial assessment of body fatness in children and adolescents, it is not a diagnostic
measure because BMI is not a direct measure of body fatness.
Use of BMI to Screen for Overweight and Obesity in Children
For children and adolescents (aged 2–19 years), the BMI value is plotted on the CDC growth charts to
determine the corresponding BMI-for-age percentile.
 Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile.
 Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex.
These definitions are based on the 2000 CDC Growth Charts for the United States and expert committee.7 A
child's weight status is determined based on an age- and sex-specific percentile for BMI rather than by the BMI
categories used for adults. Classifications of overweight and obesity for children and adolescents are age- and
sex-specific because children's body composition varies as they age and varies between boys and girls.
Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007-2008
Cynthia L. Ogden; Margaret D. Carroll; Lester R. Curtin; Molly M. Lamb; Katherine M. Flegal
JAMA. 2010;303(3):242-249
The prevalence of high weight for length or high body mass index (BMI) among children and teens in the U.S.
(i.e., at or above the 95th percentile), ranges from approximately 10 percent for infants and toddlers, to
approximately 18 percent for adolescents and teenagers, although these rates appear to have remained
relatively stable over the past 10 years, except for an increase for 6- to 19-year-old boys who are at the very
heaviest weight levels, according to a CDC study appearing in the January 20 issue of JAMA.
Contributing Factors
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