LegiStorm

Summary:

In children and adolescents, obesity is defined as being at or above the 95th percentile of the age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI); overweight is defined as being between the 85th and 94th percentiles, based on growth charts developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past three decades, obesity has become a major public health problem, capturing the interest of health care professionals, policymakers, schools, employers, and the media. Although obesity rates have stabilized over the past decade, almost 32% of U.S. children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are overweight, and more than half of those children are considered obese. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children varies by age, race, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. In 2011-2012, 18% of 6- to 11-year-olds and 21% of 12- to 19-year-olds were obese. The only age group reported to experience decreases in obesity rates were two- to five-year-olds, where obesity prevalence fell from 13.9% in 2003-2004 to 8.4% in 2011-2012. Overweight and obesity are more prevalent among certain minority groups and low-income children. Additionally, states with the highest child and adolescent obesity rates are concentrated in the southeastern region of the United States. Studies suggest that several factors may contribute to obesity, including behavioral factors such as energy intake (i.e., calories consumed) and physical activity, as well as familial, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. In recent years, Congress has sought to address this issue through legislation that promotes nutrition, healthy weight, and fitness, particularly in communities, schools, and federal nutrition programs. For example, the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (P.L. 111-296) addresses several nutrition-related concerns through various child nutrition programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). A provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148) funds a demonstration program for a comprehensive approach to childhood obesity in Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participants. Other proposed policies include support of research and implementation of best practices in both federal and community programs, as well as increased monitoring of BMI by health care providers and schools. Congress and the Obama Administration have shown a strong interest in tracking childhood obesity data, and in developing policies to reverse the trend of increasing obesity rates. Federal policies to address childhood obesity span many departments, including the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Agriculture, among others. Reducing childhood obesity is also a major initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. In May 2010, the President's Task Force on Childhood Obesity released an action plan with a series of recommendations to reduce childhood obesity prevalence from 17% in 2007-2008 to 5% by 2030. HHS has modified Healthy People 2020 goals (which track health objectives for the nation and progress toward those goals) to seek a 10% reduction in childhood obesity over the next 10 years. This report provides an overview of the data being used to inform federal obesity policy. It presents an overview of obesity statistics among children and adolescents, and includes a discussion of obesity measurement, trends in obesity rates, and differences that exist across gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geographic location.