Overweight Children and Youth
Headline
Nearly one in six adolescents ages 12 to 19 were overweight in the United States in 1999-2002, more than triple the rate in 1976-1980. (See Figure 1)
Importance
Children who are overweight are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, orthopedic abnormalities, gout, arthritis, and skin problems.1 Also, being overweight can negatively affect children's social and psychological development, and it has been linked to the premature onset of puberty.
Moreover, the health threats posed by being an overweight child can be long lasting. Children and adolescents who are overweight are at risk for becoming overweight adults. Overweight adults face many problems due to their weight, such as decreased productivity, social stigmatization, high health care costs, and premature death.2 In addition, overweight adults are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, elevated blood pressure, stroke, respiratory problems, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and some types of cancer.3 Given the seriousness of the health consequences associated with being overweight, and the rate of increase in the past few decades, the Surgeon General has declared overweight prevalence in children and adolescents "a major public health concern."4
Trends
Children ages six to 11 were nearly two and a half times as likely to be overweight in 1999-2002 as they were in 1976-1980 (16 percent versus 7 percent, respectively). During the same period, the percentage of adolescents ages 12 to 19 who were overweight tripled from 5 percent in 1976-1980 to 16 percent in 1999-2002. (See Figure 1)
Differences by Gender
Overall, boys and girls are about equally likely to be overweight. However, some differences exist within racial and ethnic subgroups. Among non-Hispanic black adolescents ages 12 to 19, for example, girls are more likely than boys to be overweight (24 percent versus 19 percent, respectively, in 1999-2002). (See Figure 2) However, among Mexican Americans ages 6 to 11, boys are more likely than girls to be overweight 27 percent versus 17 percent, respectively, in 1999-2002). (See Table 1)
Differences by Race and Ethnicity
Among adolescent boys and girls ages 12 to19 in 1999-2002, non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans were substantially more likely to be overweight than non-Hispanic white youth. (See Figure 2) Among children ages 6 to 11, Mexican American boys are significantly more likely than both non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white boys to be overweight (27 percent versus 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively). (See Table 1)
Related Indicators
Vigorous Physical Activity, Disordered Eating: Symptoms of Bulimia
State and Local Estimates
2003 estimates are available for high school students (grades 9 to 12) by grade, sex, and race/ethnicity for selected states and cities from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5302a1.htm#tab59.
International Estimates
None available
National Goals
Through its Healthy People 2010 initiative, the federal government has set a national goal to reduce the number of overweight children to 5 percent from a 1988-1994 baseline level of about 11 percent. To reach this goal, the Federal Drug Administration and The National Institutes of Health are encouraging schools and communities to educate parents and children about the importance of a healthy diet and physical activity.
More information available at: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/uih/uih_4.htm#overandobese
What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator
Click here to view examples of programs and interventions that research has evaluated for this indicator. View programs
Research References
1Gidding, Samuel, Rudolph Leibel, Stephen Daniels, Michael Rosenbaum, Linda van Horn, and Gerald Marx. "Understanding Obesity in Youth." American Heart Association Medical/Scientific Statement, 1996. http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/12/3383
2U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. [Rockville, MD]: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General; [2001]. Available from: U.S. GPO, Washington. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf
3U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000.
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/default.htm
Gidding, Samuel, Rudolph Leibel, Stephen Daniels, Michael Rosenbaum, Linda van Horn, and Gerald Marx. "Understanding Obesity in Youth." American Heart Association Medical/Scientific Statement, 1996.
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/12/3383
4U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. [Rockville, MD]: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General; [2001]. Available from: U.S. GPO, Washington. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf
Definition
Overweight is defined as body mass index (BMI) at or above the sex- and age-specific 95th percentile of the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI cutoff points. For example a 10-year-old boy who is 4 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 96 lbs. is overweight.
Body mass index is expressed as weight (in pounds) divided by height squared (in inches), all multiplied by 703. For example, a person who is six feet 2 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds has a BMI of 25.7, which would qualify as overweight in an adult.
BMI age-for-growth charts for the United States are available at
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmi-for-age.htm
Data Source
Data for 1976-1994: National Center for Health Statistics. (2003). Health United States, 2003 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. National Center for Health Statistics. 2003. Table 69. See
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/tables/2003/03hus069.pdf
Data for 1999-2002: Hedley, Allison, Ogden, Cynthia, Johnson, Clifford, Carroll, Margaret, Curtin, Lester and Katherine Flegal. "Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among US Children, Adolescents, and Adults, 1999-2002," JAMA, 291 (23): 2847-2850.
Raw Data Source
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm
http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/15OverweightChildrenYouth.cfm
Headline
Nearly one in six adolescents ages 12 to 19 were overweight in the United States in 1999-2002, more than triple the rate in 1976-1980. (See Figure 1)
Importance
Children who are overweight are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, orthopedic abnormalities, gout, arthritis, and skin problems.1 Also, being overweight can negatively affect children's social and psychological development, and it has been linked to the premature onset of puberty.
Moreover, the health threats posed by being an overweight child can be long lasting. Children and adolescents who are overweight are at risk for becoming overweight adults. Overweight adults face many problems due to their weight, such as decreased productivity, social stigmatization, high health care costs, and premature death.2 In addition, overweight adults are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, elevated blood pressure, stroke, respiratory problems, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and some types of cancer.3 Given the seriousness of the health consequences associated with being overweight, and the rate of increase in the past few decades, the Surgeon General has declared overweight prevalence in children and adolescents "a major public health concern."4
Trends
Children ages six to 11 were nearly two and a half times as likely to be overweight in 1999-2002 as they were in 1976-1980 (16 percent versus 7 percent, respectively). During the same period, the percentage of adolescents ages 12 to 19 who were overweight tripled from 5 percent in 1976-1980 to 16 percent in 1999-2002. (See Figure 1)
Differences by Gender
Overall, boys and girls are about equally likely to be overweight. However, some differences exist within racial and ethnic subgroups. Among non-Hispanic black adolescents ages 12 to 19, for example, girls are more likely than boys to be overweight (24 percent versus 19 percent, respectively, in 1999-2002). (See Figure 2) However, among Mexican Americans ages 6 to 11, boys are more likely than girls to be overweight 27 percent versus 17 percent, respectively, in 1999-2002). (See Table 1)
Differences by Race and Ethnicity
Among adolescent boys and girls ages 12 to19 in 1999-2002, non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans were substantially more likely to be overweight than non-Hispanic white youth. (See Figure 2) Among children ages 6 to 11, Mexican American boys are significantly more likely than both non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white boys to be overweight (27 percent versus 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively). (See Table 1)
Related Indicators
Vigorous Physical Activity, Disordered Eating: Symptoms of Bulimia
State and Local Estimates
2003 estimates are available for high school students (grades 9 to 12) by grade, sex, and race/ethnicity for selected states and cities from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5302a1.htm#tab59.
International Estimates
None available
National Goals
Through its Healthy People 2010 initiative, the federal government has set a national goal to reduce the number of overweight children to 5 percent from a 1988-1994 baseline level of about 11 percent. To reach this goal, the Federal Drug Administration and The National Institutes of Health are encouraging schools and communities to educate parents and children about the importance of a healthy diet and physical activity.
More information available at: http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/document/html/uih/uih_4.htm#overandobese
What Works: Programs and Interventions that May Influence this Indicator
Click here to view examples of programs and interventions that research has evaluated for this indicator. View programs
Research References
1Gidding, Samuel, Rudolph Leibel, Stephen Daniels, Michael Rosenbaum, Linda van Horn, and Gerald Marx. "Understanding Obesity in Youth." American Heart Association Medical/Scientific Statement, 1996. http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/12/3383
2U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. [Rockville, MD]: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General; [2001]. Available from: U.S. GPO, Washington. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf
3U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000.
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/default.htm
Gidding, Samuel, Rudolph Leibel, Stephen Daniels, Michael Rosenbaum, Linda van Horn, and Gerald Marx. "Understanding Obesity in Youth." American Heart Association Medical/Scientific Statement, 1996.
http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/94/12/3383
4U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. [Rockville, MD]: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General; [2001]. Available from: U.S. GPO, Washington. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf
Definition
Overweight is defined as body mass index (BMI) at or above the sex- and age-specific 95th percentile of the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI cutoff points. For example a 10-year-old boy who is 4 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 96 lbs. is overweight.
Body mass index is expressed as weight (in pounds) divided by height squared (in inches), all multiplied by 703. For example, a person who is six feet 2 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds has a BMI of 25.7, which would qualify as overweight in an adult.
BMI age-for-growth charts for the United States are available at
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmi-for-age.htm
Data Source
Data for 1976-1994: National Center for Health Statistics. (2003). Health United States, 2003 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. National Center for Health Statistics. 2003. Table 69. See
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/tables/2003/03hus069.pdf
Data for 1999-2002: Hedley, Allison, Ogden, Cynthia, Johnson, Clifford, Carroll, Margaret, Curtin, Lester and Katherine Flegal. "Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among US Children, Adolescents, and Adults, 1999-2002," JAMA, 291 (23): 2847-2850.
Raw Data Source
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm
http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/15OverweightChildrenYouth.cfm
