The Facts About Childhood Obesity

If your child is overweight, you may find it helpful to learn about the causes of childhood obesity and the true numbers of overweight children. If your kid is already at a healthy weight, it can help them stay that way.

The Child Obesity Epidemic

Reviewing the data on the prevalence of obesity in children over the years reveals a definite upward trend:

In 1971–1974, just 5% of children aged 2–5 fulfilled the current definition of obesity; by 2017–2018, 13.4% of children in this age range were obese.

Compared to the 1971-1974 survey, which found obesity in only 4% of children aged 6-11, the 2017-2018 study found that 20.3% of children in this age range were obese.

The percentage of obese children aged 12-19 increased from 6.1% in the 1971-1974 survey to 21.2% in the 2017-2018 one.

Thankfully, the rate of childhood obesity has not skyrocketed in recent years.

Body Mass Index

When is it time to worry that your kid might be overweight?

One's body mass index (BMI) is calculated by using the individual's height, weight, and age.

• Weight and Height Conversion Tables
• The next step is to use a BMI chart to track their child's progress.
• The body mass index (BMI) is an inaccurate and outmoded metric. It does not account for individual differences in anatomy, culture, sexual orientation, or chronological age. 

BMI is frequently utilized in the medical field despite the fact that it is a biased measure since it is a cheap and rapid approach to examine a person's probable health status and results.

• Fatness below the 5th percentile
• Normal BMI range: 5th to 85th percentile
• 85th to 95th percentile or higher; obese
• Excessive weight for height and age; 95th percentile or above

Obesity Facts and Statistics

Other useful information about childhood obesity includes:

• The conventional wisdom states that one pound of weight is equal to 3,500 calories. While the 3,500-calorie-per-month-to-lose-a-pound rule is outdated, it does provide a rough estimate of the effects of making such a change.
• Thomas DM, Gonzalez MC, Pereira AZ, Redman LM, Heymsfield SB. Time to correctly forecast the amount of weight reduction with dieting. Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
• Your child can keep their weight in a healthy range if they engage in moderate to vigorous activity for at least 60 minutes on most days.
• Exposure to media screens (television, computer, and video game play) for more than one or two hours daily is associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity.Four, over seventy percent of overweight youth remain overweight in their thirties. Five, only about twenty percent of adults are at a healthy weight.

Working with a pediatrician and/or a licensed nutritionist can be helpful if your child is overweight.

Adult Obesity Statistics

There has been a significant increase in adult obesity, just as there has been in childhood obesity. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 30 percent of adults have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher. Furthermore, more than half of all individuals are either obese or seriously obese, defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.