Child Obesity Statistics

Childhood Obesity Statistics and Trends

The State of Washington has a very good article on Childhood Obesity Statistics in the United Sates and the trends we are witnessing. You can access that article Here. Granted, a lot of the childhood obesity statistics listed in this article are relevant to Washington State, but the trends are similar in other areas of the country, if not worse. 
 

Overweight children and adolescents are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. For example, during their youth, overweight 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. Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults, according to certain childhood obesity statistics and studies. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at age 10-15 were obese adults at age 25. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before age 8, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe. The March 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association reported that poor diet and physical inactivity soon could overtake tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Worldwide Statistics

When it comes to childhood obesity statistics worldwide, Finland may be more obese than France or Poland, the statistics are not clear. Statistics are only generally available and sensible for developed countries. After these countries come, in turn: Iceland, Spain, Estonia, Austria, Ireland, Latvia, Czech, Canada, Lithuania, Australia, Luxembourg and Hungary. With a percentage of obesity of over 20% follow Portugal, Slovakia, Germany, UK, Mexico, Cyprus and Malta, with the USA breaking into the 30s! (Did you catch that? There’s an extra emphasis that the US is in the 30% prevalence of obesity!) There are no statistics given for Australia (known to be surprisingly obese), and many other countries especially non-European ones. Data is taken from the latest reports, 2000, 2001 or 2002. 

The International Association for the Study of Obesity publishes reports into childhood obesity; the following chart was published in the British Medical Journal on their data on international overweight rates amongst 10-16 year old children.

The red portions highlight the numbers of children who are actually obese and not merely overweight. The dangers of childhood obesity are great, and their effects become a heavy burden on societal health and welfare spending. The numbers have continued to increase drastically since 2000/2001. 

Countries that feature regularly on this page, which have very low levels of childhood obesity include the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland, followed by Sweden, Germany and France.

Childhood obesity statistics worldwide are very alarming. Giving to the rise in "instant" technology, we can see, for the first time, how obesity is growing around the globe. The sedentary lifestyles of children in all developed countries are helping to raise the childhood obesity statistics to these alarming numbers. It’s time to take action and get our children off their butts and into the active lives they need. Only then will these childhood obesity statistics go down back below where they were three decades ago.