Data and Statistics
Obesity rates among all children in the United States
(Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey)
- Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.
- Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled.
- There are significant racial and ethnic disparities in obesity prevalence among U.S. children and adolescents. In 2007—2008, Hispanic boys, aged 2 to 19 years,were significantly more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white boys, and non-Hispanic black girls were significantly more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white girls.
Obesity rates among low-income preschool children
(Data from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System)
- 1 of 7 low-income, preschool-aged children is obese. [Check out this Fact Sheet to learn more (PDF-1.5Mb)]
- County obesity rates are variable within states. Even states with the lowest prevalence of obesity have counties where many low-income children are obese and at risk for chronic disease.
2011 State Prevalence Among Low-Income Children Aged 2 to 4 Years
2009—2011 County Obesity Prevalence Among Low-Income
Children
Aged 2 to 4 Years
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