January 1st, 2011 
Jeff Barnes 
Childhood Obesity
Statistics and Trends
History of Childhood Obesity
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 also 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 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 |
|
Washington DC |
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.
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i like fat kids. even though they are unhealthy i could be their girlfriend and buy them a treadmill on our anniversary. <3
and you would also boost the economy:) and you are helping them take BIG steps (no pun intended) towards losing weight.
I really don’t think that children are obese because of fast food per say…i think it has alot more to do with parenting. Children aren’t supposed to choose what the family eats everyday thats the parents job. The parents can say no to fast food, chips, pop, candy ect….i think we need to look at parenting skills before we just jump all over fast food restaurants…especially since they never promised they were healthy…
Girl- I absolutely agree that fast food restaurants aren’t the sole culprit. However, it is sure hard to argue that they are helping people on a budget to stay healthy. We do have to offer some support to large organizations like McDonald’s who is trying to introduce more healthy options. However, we’re still not where we need to be for healthy choices for families on a budget.
Parents should learn to be better role models, no doubt about it. However, since a lack of health education is a major contributor to the obeisty epidemic, it is hard to make the high level changes that are needed without trying to educate everyone about the causes of obesity. By conveying the problems that we face in this country, and increasingly around the world, I hope that we can significantly impact the level of education and therefore encourage parents to make better decisions when raising their children.
Thank you very much for your candid concerns!
I eat fast food, but about once a week, sometimes not even once a month. But I exercise. I’m on the track team, have built up the strength to run 3 miles straight, and have a BMI of 18.9. Rule: Don’t eat too much fast food, and exercise at least 3 times a week. OK???
I’m a mother of two my oldest is 4years old and youngest is 3, I work as a Independent Beach body coach and I help people get gain confidence and start to live life, I help people loose weight, get healthy and for the ones that need extra income I also help them make extra income.
As a mother I try to provide my children with the best healthy options by educating myself on what is not good for our bodies. I hink parents should do more research on healthy options for their children, because as parents we get busy and it’s easy to make the wrong choices.
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Backlinks…
Childhood Obesity Statistics | Stop Childhood Obesity…
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Why not track the development of children held developmentally captive in carriers, carseats, strollers. These vehicles all force children to lay back and not move. with that ingrained in the nervous system over 3 to 6 years, the body cannot do much more that lay back and let things happen. Regular strollers allow children to sit up move around and try to wiggle out. Our TSA safety and security fears have transferred to handling our children. Don’t let them develop. You might get in trouble. Well as usual peer pressure and commercials and the news (brought to you by Corporations bigger than God?) all tell you what to do, how to raise your child, how to keep those children in those jogging strollers even though they are past the age of 10 so Mum can run for her bum. Amazing children survive.
how do u expect these stats and rates to compare to fast foods being incorrperated in our childrens diets?
I found this website very useful for my school report on childhood obesity in the U.S.A
That’s a crazy percentage. I live in Illinois and our percentage for 2008 is unbelievable! It’s almost 2012 and I’m afraid to see our numbers
Paige F
Heating Technician
(Air Conditioning, Heating, Furnace, HVAC Service and Repair – Bloomington Illinois 61704 | Masters Brothers)
We should focus more together on how to fight this epidemic that is slowly destroying our future generation. If we join our hands we can win this war and control the problem. I have created several fitness programs for kids and teens that have made it around the world. I am very proud to say that Superfits-Kids our award winning fitness programs have not only physically but mentally & emotionally have transformed over 1,000 kids and still counting. As I had mentioned before, we need to unite and come together as a Nation to fight together and save our future one child at a time. I need your help, can you help?? All we need is to spread the news about the success stories and results of our Superfit-kids programs. We also need more sponsors and other organizations & businesses that would like to join hands with us to fight this worldwide battle, like ‘You” parents, teaches, doctors, nutritionists specialists and Corporate America to say the least. Let’s do something NOW before its too late.. Please visit out website for more details or if you would like to speak with me directly. http://www.superfits.com
Warm wishes,
Ivette Cortiella, Founder & CEO-
direct email-ivettec@superfits.com