An Epidemic Among Children and Adolescents

Today, more than 23 million children and adolescents in the United States—nearly one in three—are obese or overweight, putting them at higher risk for serious, even life-threatening health problems. If this trend is left unabated, the current generation of young people could be the first in U.S. history to live sicker and die younger than their parents.

Evidence of an Epidemic

• The obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has more than quadrupled during the past four decades, and rates for other age groups are up dramatically as well.


• Children are now being diagnosed with heart disease and type 2 diabetes—which was, until recently, only seen in adults.


• Obesity costs the United States $147 billion each year in direct medical expenses and indirect costs, such as lost productivity.


• Eight of the ten states with the highest rates of obese children are in the South, and children who live in poor, rural areas are at an even higher risk for being overweight or obese.

What’s Behind the Epidemic?

Across the United States, families are struggling to feed their families healthy meals. Fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive, and many communities do not even have full-service grocery stores that regularly stock fresh produce. In schools, children are eating too much junk and not getting enough exercise. At home they spend most of their time in front of glowing screens and not enough time outside being active, in part because there are too few safe and secure places to play in their neighborhoods. Companies spend millions each year marketing unhealthy foods to children making health and nutrition education all the more challenging.

Solutions

The Institute of Medicine and other experts agree that improving public policies and changing community environments are the most effective strategies for preventing childhood obesity.

The Campaign for Healthy Kids is rallying behind key policies that states should adopt in order to begin to address the childhood obesity epidemic. Read More.

Childhood obesity rates have reached an unprecedented level. Read More about the epidemic.