Childhood obesity statistics in the United States
have caught the attention of every aspect of our nation recently.
Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese.
Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most
difficult to treat. Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of
exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year. The annual
cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion.
Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults
unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and
exercise.
Over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than
doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged
12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years.
At present, approximately nine million children over 6 years of age are
considered obese.
Trends in childhood and youth obesity mirror a similar profound
increase over the same approximate period in U.S. adults as well as a
concurrent rise internationally, in both developed and developing
countries.
The obesity epidemic affects both boys and girls
and has occurred in all age, race, and ethnic groups throughout the
United States. In addition to the increase in obesity prevalence, the
heaviest group of children is getting heavier whereas the leanest group
of children is staying lean.
What this means is that among younger age groups of children 6 to 11
years of age, and to a lesser extent adolescents, the lower part of the
BMI distribution appears to have changed little over time.
Current Statistics
Overweight and obesity in children are significant public health
problems in the United States. The number of adolescents who are
overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence among younger
children has more than doubled. According to the 1999-2002 NHANES
survey, 16 percent of children age 6-19 years are overweight (see
Figure 1). Not only have the rates of overweight increased, but the
heaviest children in a recent NHANES survey were markedly heavier than
those in previous surveys.
Figure 1. Prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents ages
6-19 years
During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in
childhood obesity statistics and general obesity in the United States.
In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less
than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than
25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia ) had a prevalence of obesity
equal to or greater than 30%. Figure 2 below shows the prevalence of
obesity by state as of 2008.
Figure 2. Prevalence of obesity by state as of 2008.
2008
State Obesity Rates
State
%
State
%
State
%
State
%
Alabama
31.4
Illinois
26.4
Montana
23.9
Rhode
Island
21.5
Alaska
26.1
Indiana
26.3
Nebraska
26.6
South
Carolina
30.1
Arizona
24.8
Iowa
26.0
Nevada
25.0
South
Dakota
27.5
Arkansas
28.7
Kansas
27.4
New
Hampshire
24.0
Tennessee
30.6
California
23.7
Kentucky
29.8
New
Jersey
22.9
Texas
28.3
Colorado
18.5
Louisiana
28.3
New
Mexico
25.2
Utah
22.5
Connecticut
21.0
Maine
25.2
New
York
24.4
Vermont
22.7
Delaware
27.0
Maryland
26.0
North
Carolina
29.0
Virginia
25.0
WashingtonDC
21.8
Massachusetts
20.9
North
Dakota
27.1
Washington
25.4
Florida
24.4
Michigan
28.9
Ohio
28.7
West
Virginia
31.2
Georgia
27.3
Minnesota
24.3
Oklahoma
30.3
Wisconsin
25.4
Hawaii
22.6
Mississippi
32.8
Oregon
24.2
Wyoming
24.6
Idaho
24.5
Missouri
28.5
Pennsylvania
27.7
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 overweightness 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.