ffice of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives
85 East Seventh Place, Suite 220, PO Box 64882
St. Paul, MN 55164-0882 651-201-5443
www.health.state.mn.us/obesity
Children & Adolescent Overweight
The number of overweight children has increased at
an alarming rate. Between 1980 and 2007-08,
overweight has tripled in youth 6-11 years of age and
more than tripled among youth 12-19 years of age.
Youth overweight statistics
The obesity epidemic appears in both boys and girls,
men and women, and among all racial and ethnic
groups. National data demonstrates that certain
groups, including Hispanics, non-Hispanic Blacks,
Native Americans and individuals in low
socioeconomic groups, are particularly affected by
obesity. Disparities appear to be growing over time.
Nationally1 (2011):
• over 15 percent of high school students were
overweight
• 13 percent of high school students were obese
• More male students reported being obese
(16 percent), compared to female students
(nearly 10 percent)
In Minnesota (2010): 2
• For 9th grade students, 15 percent of males and
11 percent of females are overweight
• For 9th grade students, 12 percent of males and 6
percent of females are obese
• Among 12th grade students, 12 percent of males
and 11 percent of females were overweight
• Among 12th grade students, 13 percent of males
and 6 percent of females are obese
• 13 percent of children 2-5 years of age enrolled in
the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants and Children (WIC) were obese 3
Children and adolescents are now
developing obesity‐related
diseases, such as type 2 diabetes,
once seen only in adults.
Defining overweight for youth 4
Overweight refers to an excessively high body weight
in relation to height. Body mass index (BMI) is used
to express the relationship of weight-to-height. BMI
is calculated using weight in kilograms and height in
meters (i.e., weight/height2). For youth:
• “Overweight” means having a BMI at or above the
85th percentile for age and sex, but less than the
95th percentile
• “Obese” means having a BMI at or above the 95th
percentile
Updated June 2012
Children & Adolescent Overweight Fact Sheet
Children & Adolescent Overweight Fact Sheet – Page 2
Obesity’s impact on children’s health
Economic impact
The increasing rate of overweight among children
and adolescents places them at greater risk for
development and early onset of a wide variety of
chronic diseases and health conditions during
adulthood. Overweight children and adolescents are
at higher risk of experiencing risk factors such as:
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
• Type 2 Diabetes
The economic impact of overweight and obesity
includes direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include
medical costs classified as preventive, diagnostic and
treatment. Indirect costs include morbidity and
mortality costs such as lost productivity, absenteeism
and premature death.
This is of concern since the majority of overweight
children and adolescents are overweight or obese in
adulthood, 5,6 placing them at increased risk for a
number of health conditions:
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea
• Some cancers
• Gallbladder disease
Based on national estimates, the overall financial
burden of obesity in Minnesota, in 2006, was $2.8
billion7
For more information
Overweight and Obesity Prevention:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/obesity
Nutrition:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/nutrition
Physical Activity:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/physicalactivity
References
CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, United States, 2011. MWR 2012
Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Minnesota Student Survey, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2007.
3 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System Report: Health Indicators Minnesota Children Enrolled in WIC 1995 to 2010. Minnesota
Department of Health.
4 Overweight and obesity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (22 May 2007). Retrieved 1 Nov 2007 from
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/
5 Whitaker, R.C., Wright J.A., et al. (1997). Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. N Engl J Med 37(13):
869-873.
6 Serdula, M.K., Ivery, D., et al. (1993). Do obese children become obese adults? A review of the literature. Prev Med 22: 167-177.
7 Justin G. Trogdon, Eric A. Finkelstein, Charles W. Feagan and Joel W. Cohen. State- and Payer-Specific Estimates of Annual Medical
Expenditures Attributable to Obesity. Obesity (2011) doi:10.1038/oby.2011.169
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Updated June 2012
Children & Adolescent Overweight Fact Sheet