Childhood Overweight and Obesity: An Epidemic of Modern Times

Childhood Overweight and Obesity Fact Sheet

Nutrition Resources on the Web

Nutrition Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

The Obesity Epidemic has Reached Children

Over the last three decades, there has been a substantial increase in the number of children who are overweight in the United States . Overweight has become the most prevalent nutritional disease of children and adolescents. In the 1960's approximately 5 percent of children in the U.S. were overweight. By the 1990's the percentage of overweight children had more than doubled, and currently over 15 percent of children and adolescents aged 6-19 are overweight. Even more concerning, 10 percent of preschoolers aged 2-5 are overweight. The rates for African-American teens and adolescents of Mexican descent are even higher.

View a series of maps that demonstrate the trends of overweight in the U.S. from 1985-2002.

Childhood Overweight in Ohio

In Ohio , according to 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance data, approximately 11 percent of low income children between the ages of 2 and 5 are overweight. This is lower than the national average of over 14 percent for low income populations. Statistics for older children and adolescents in Ohio are not readily available. However, according to the 1999 Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey, approximately 8 percent of Ohio high school females and 11 percent of males were overweight. This data is based on self reporting, and self-reported data on weight is usually low.

Overweight in Children is Defined Differently Than for Adults

Overweight in children is based on growth charts that were revised in 2000 by the CDC. These growth charts were specific for children living in the United States . Overweight is defined as being at or above the 95 th percentile of body mass index (BMI) for age. BMI is a mathematical formula that divides weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. For children, the BMI must then be plotted on an age- and gender-specific growth chart to determine the degree of the child's overweight. BMI is an excellent screening tool for overweight in children; it is the most accurate non- invasive measure currently available. Children at the 95 th percentile and above used to be referred to as “obese”; however the CDC has asked that we avoid the use of the word “obese” with children because of the negative connotation. Children between the 85 th and 94 th percentile of BMI are considered “at risk for being overweight.”

Overweight Children Have a High Risk of Becoming Obese Adults

Overweight that begins in childhood tends to be more severe and is associated with more adverse effects than overweight in adulthood. If a child is overweight by the age of 10-13 there is a 70 percent chance he/she will become an overweight adult.

Childhood Overweight has Serious Effects on Health and Well-being

The health consequences of childhood overweight affect both physical and mental health. Overweight children have increased incidence of physical conditions including hypertension, coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, orthopedic problems and type 2 diabetes. The psychological complications include low self esteem, increased risk for discrimination and poor body image. Social isolation among overweight children is not uncommon. Many of these complications or consequences were once considered to be almost exclusively adult conditions. In the past, hypertension, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes were rarely seen in the pediatricians' office. Type 2 diabetes, which used to be referred to as adult onset diabetes, has now reached epidemic levels in children in our country and is directly linked to the obesity epidemic.

Type 2 Diabetes is the Second Epidemic Attacking U.S. Children

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases among children in the United States . Children in the African-American, Hispanic and American-Indian populations have the highest incidence. Approximately 150,000 people under the age of 18 have diabetes. The CDC estimates that among the newly diagnosed cases of diabetes in children and adolescents, those with type 2 range between 8 and 43 percent. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body no longer uses insulin properly. Type 2 diabetes may lead to serious health complications such as heart and kidney disease, stroke, blindness and loss of limbs. However, if managed properly a person with diabetes can live a long healthy life with minimal complications or possibly free of complications.

View a series of maps that demonstrate the trends of diabetes in the U.S. .

Children Become Overweight for a Variety of Reasons

Children become overweight for a variety of reasons. A decrease in physical activity and the development of unhealthy eating patterns are the main culprits. Today, the average child spends approximately 4 hours per day in front of the television! Research has shown that children who watch more television are less likely to participate in vigorous activity and tend to have higher BMI's. This, combined with increased portion sizes, as well as increased consumption of high fat convenience foods, snack items and sweetened beverages, has created a situation where children are taking in significantly more calories than they are expending. Genetic factors can also play a role in increasing the possibility that a child will be overweight. If both parents are overweight, the child is 6 times more likely to become overweight than children of parents who are not. The child's weight status is the result of many factors including overall diet, physical activity level and the eating habits of the parents, the families' socioeconomic status and the environment in which the children are being raised.

Economic Costs Associated with Overweight are Increasing

According to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity , the health problems associated with overweight and obesity have had substantial economic consequences for the U.S. health care system. A recent study conducted by the CDC estimates that the U.S. spent nearly 75 billion dollars on obesity-related medical problems in 2003 and that about half of this bill was paid by tax payers through the Medicare and Medicaid system. In Ohio , obesity accounts for 7.7% of all Medicare spending and 10.3% of Medicaid spending. CDC has also stated that poor nutrition and physical inactivity account for approximately 300,000 premature deaths in the United States every year! Other studies have shown that hospitalizations for children and adolescents for diseases associated with obesity have risen dramatically between 1979 and 1999 and that hospitalization costs have tripled.

Health care professionals, Ohio Public Health Association members, parents and teachers have a role in stopping the epidemic of childhood overweight and the health problems that go with it.

Ohio 's health care professionals, parents and teachers should be encouraging children and adolescents to become more active and to consume a healthy diet that complies with the food guide pyramid guidelines. We should lead by example. Test your knowledge about childhood overweight and related issues by working through the nutrition quiz and visit the websites listed for more information. {TIP: Don't skip the questions. There are resources included with each answer!} Then print off the Fact Sheet on Childhood Overweight and Obesity. Use it to educate the media, parents, health professionals, and all those who have an influence on children