Obesity Statistics Among Children and Adolescents 2003-2004
Obesity and Overweight, United States, 2003-2004
New estimates of overweight among children and adolescents and obesity among adults will be published in the April 5 issue (embargoed for 3 pm CST Tuesday, April 4) of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The estimates are based on measured values of weight and height from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Key findings are shown below:
Overall: In 2003-4, 17.1% of children and adolescents 2-19 years of age were overweight and 32.2% of adults were obese. Almost 5% of adults were extremely obese.
Differences by race/ethnicity: There were significant differences in obesity among race/ethnic groups. The prevalence of overweight in Mexican-American and non-Hispanic black girls was higher than among non-Hispanic white girls. Among boys, the prevalence of overweight was significantly higher among Mexican Americans than among either non-Hispanic blacks or whites. Among adults similar differences existed. Approximately 30% of non-Hispanic whites were obese while 45.0% of non-Hispanic blacks and 36.8% of Mexican Americans were obese.
Differences by age: There were significant differences by age. Adolescents were more likely to be overweight compared with younger children and older adults were more likely to be obese compared to younger adults. The only exception was among adults 80 years and older who were no different from adults 20-139 years of age.
Trends: Between 1999 and 2004, there was an increase in the prevalence of overweight in girls (13.8% to 16.0%). Similarly, among boys the prevalence increased from 14.0% to 18.2%. The prevalence of obesity among men also increased from 27.5% to 31.1%. There was no change in obesity among women (33.4% to 33.2%).
Background: Obesity and overweight is a result of an imbalance in food consumed and physical activity. National data have shown an increase in the calorie consumption of adults and no change in physical activity patterns. But, obesity is a complex issue related to our lifestyles, environment and genes. Many underlying factors have been suggested such as increasing portion sizes, eating out more often, increased consumption of sugar sweetened drinks, increasing screen time, and fear of crime preventing outdoor exercise.
International comparisons: Although the United States has the highest prevalence of obesity among the developed nations, it is not alone in terms of trends. Increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among both children and adults have been observed throughout the world.
Definitions: Overweight and obesity are defined based on body mass index (BMI, weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters). Among children and adolescents overweight is defined as at or above the 95th percentile of the sex-specific BMI for age growth charts. Among adults obesity is defined as a BMI >= 30 and extreme obesity is defined as a BMI >= 40.