News Report | July 8, 2021
Mississippi, West Virginia & Arkansas Have Highest Obesity Rates Among High-Schoolers
Mississippi (23.4%), West Virginia (22.9%), and Arkansas (22.1%) have the highest obesity rates among high school students (ninth through twelfth grades). Utah (9.8%), Colorado (10.3%), and Montana (11.5%) had the lowest obesity rates for this population. Childhood obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex.
Throughout the U.S., an average of 15.5% of high school students had obesity. The rate for females was 11.9%, while 18.9% of males had obesity. When ethnicity is considered, those classified . . .