CHILDREN WITH OBESITY

Children with Obesity

Children with Obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity is defined by a body mass index (BMI) of greater than or equal to 30, where BMI equals the ratio of body weight in kilograms to the square of body height in meters (BMI = kg/m2). Among adults, having a BMI of greater than 30 is associated with significantly increased risk for a number of negative health consequences, including hypertension and other cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis, and various forms of cancer.

Among children, the measurement of obesity is also typically expressed in terms of BMI, although an expert committee convened by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHS) recommends the use of BMI percentiles, rather than raw BMI values when determining a child's obesity status.

Current estimates of the prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States range from 15% to more than 25%, depending on geographic location and population demographics. When adults who are overweight but not obese (i.e., a BMI between 25 and 29.9) are included in these statistics, as many as 61% of Americans are reported to have a weight problem that may have negative consequences for their physical and mental health.

According to these same reports, obesity currently affects more than 15% of youth between 6 and 19 years old in the United States.

Although the overall obesity rate among children has increased, a number of recent investigations have indicated that not all children are at equal risk for developing obesity. Specifically, children from low-income families, ethnic minority backgrounds, and families with overweight parents are at increased risk for the development of obesity during childhood. However, some evidence suggests that ...