There is no doubt that American children are
getting heavier, and although the problem of overweight
is growing fastest in the United States, the
trend toward heavier children is occurring in most in
most developed countries.
In the United States, the
National Center for Health Statistics has tracked
children’s weight for several decades and recorded
the following changes in the percent of children who
are overweight (above the 85th percentile):
-Children ages 2–5: 1971–74 5% 1988–94 7.2% 2003–
04 13.9%
-Children ages 6–11: 1971–74 4% 1988–94 11.3%
2003–04 18.8%
-Children ages 12–19: 1971–74 6.1% 1988–94 10.5%
2003–04 17.4%
In terms of numbers, this means that 12.5 million
children were overweight in 2003–04. During the
same time, 32.2% of adults, or 66 million people,
were obese. Other surveys have found the total obesity
rate among children and adolescents to be
between 21% and 24%.
Significant differences exist in the number of children
who are overweight in different races and ethnic
groups, and these mirror the differences in the adult
population. Significantly moreMexican American boys
are overweight than non-Hispanic black or white boys.
Significantly more Mexican American girls and non-
Hispanic black girls are overweight than white girls.
Native Americans and Hawaiians also have higher
rates of overweight than whites.
