The Childhood Obesity Problem
Obesity rates have increased sharply in the United States over the past 30 years, and today, nearly one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.1 These children are developing “adult” diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and are at increased risk for heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer and other serious chronic conditions.
The medical expenses and indirect costs associated with obesity place a significant burden on a health care system that already is overwhelmed and threaten our unstable economy. If something is not done to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic, our next generation can expect even larger medical bills and a health care system less capable of meeting its needs.
A clear picture of the epidemic can be seen in the hard numbers. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show that 16.9 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 were obese and 31.7 percent were obese or overweight in 2007-2008.2 These rates have soared over the past few decades:
- The obesity rate among children ages 2 to 5 has more than doubled (from 5% to 10.4%) during the past three decades.3,4
- The obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has more than quadrupled (from 4.2% to 19.6%).5,6
- The obesity rate for adolescents ages 12 to 19 has more than tripled (from 4.6 to 18.1 percent) during the past four decades.7,8
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