U.S. Childhood Obesity Prevalence & Severity On The Rise Over Past Decade

From 1998 to 2010, the prevalence of childhood obesity rose, and was accompanied by onset at younger ages and increased severity. In 1998, about 15.1% of kindergarteners (average age of 6 years) had a body mass index (BMI) that was considered "overweight," and about 12.0% of those overweight children had a BMI that was considered "obese". In 2010, the percentage of kindergarteners with an "overweight" BMI increased slightly to 15.7%. However, the percentage of those children considered "obese" was 15.7%.

For children, normal weight is defined using the body mass index height and weight calculation, and . . .