The percentage of US children who are overweight or obese seems to have levelled off after increasing for the past 25 years. About 32 percent of children aged 2-19 are overweight or obese. Of these, about 16 percent are obese.
High Body Mass Index for Age Among US Children and Adolescents, 2003-2006
“The prevalence of high BMI for age among children and adolescents showed no significant changes between 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 and no significant trends between 1999 and 2006,” conclude CDC researchers.
Read the abstract in JAMA, 28 May 2008
Climb in child obesity may be slowing
“There appears to be some initial optimistic news on the childhood obesity front - the rate of obesity has not increased since 1999, according to the results of a new study.”
Read more: KidsAd Law, 2 July 2008
Child obesity rate levels off
A new study shows some evidence that the childhood obesity “epidemic” may finally be leveling off, reports Time.
However, even if the childhood obesity epidemic has truly peaked, the levels remain frighteningly high.
Read more: Time, 27 May 2008
Obesity epidemic in U.S. kids may have peaked
The percentage of American children who are overweight or obese appears to have leveled off after a 25-year increase. Dr David Ludwig cautions that it is too soon to know whether this is a true plateau or just a temporary lull.
Read more: MSNBC, 27 May 2008
Kids fat but not fatter
American kids are fat. But at least they don’t seem to be getting any fatter.
Read more: Nature blog, 28 May 2008
