Childhood Obesity Facts
Obesity means an excess amount of body fat. No general agreement exists on
the lowest definition of obesity in children and adolescents, unlike standards
for adults. Nevertheless, most professionals accept published guidelines based
on the body mass index (BMI) -- modified for age, pubertal stage, and gender -- to
measure obesity in children and adolescents. Others define pediatric obesity as
body weight at least 20% higher than the healthy weight range for a child or
adolescent of that height, or as a body fat percentage above 25% in boys or
above 32% in girls.
Although rare in the past, obesity is now among the most
widespread medical problems affecting children and adolescents living in the
United States and other developed countries. About 15% of adolescents (12-19 years
of age) and children (6-11 years of age) are obese in the United States
according to the American Obesity Association. These numbers have continued to
increase since at least the early 1990s. Pediatric obesity represents one of our
greatest health challenges
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