Childhood Obesity Statistics

Obesity affects almost 30% of the adult population. It also affects about 25 % of our youth. It’s causing problems far and wide. From the cost of health care to legislation it affects each and every one of us. You’re probably already aware that obesity has reached epidemic proportions. However, you may not be familiar with these surprising obesity statistics.

Obesity causes cancer.
* Men with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater, have a 52% higher death rate for cancer.
* Women whose BMI is over 40 have a 62% higher death rate.
* Overweight men and women carry a greater risk of developing several types of cancer, including esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and kidney.
* The American Cancer Society predicts that 186,000 lives could be saved annually if people could maintain a BMI of 25 or less.

Children are Suffering
* Nearly 10 % of kids ages two to five are obese.
* Type 2 diabetes is now being diagnosed in kids as young as six.
* 30% to 50% of new pediatric cases of diabetes are type 2.
* According to a new University of Michigan Health System study, three year-olds who watch more than two hours of TV daily are three times more likely to become overweight than kids who play outside.
* Research has also found that preschoolers are more likely to consume a diet high in saturated fat if their parents do.
* Breastfeeding may make a difference. A report in the American Journal of Epidemiology reviewed 17 studies on the nursing-obesity link and found that for every month a baby is breastfed their risk for obesity decreased by 4%.

Where You Live Matters.
According to data collected by the CDC where you live has a direct effect on your obesity risk. People who live in the southern United States have the highest risk for obesity. More than 30% of the population in the south is obese.
Second only to the Midwest which has between 25% and 29% % obesity rate. Colorado has the lowest incidence of obesity in the United States with fifteen to nineteen % of the population being obese.

And while it seems like the US has cornered the market on obesity, that’s not necessarily true. Mexico, the United Kingdom, Greece, Slovakia, New Zealand and Australia all have a high obesity rate.

The country with the lowest obesity percentage? South Korea and Japan both tie for the lowest with just 3.2% of the population.

Obesity is a problem around the globe. It doesn’t matter what your race or religion is, the numbers continue to grow. As it grows so too do the financial and health costs. In fact, according to a study conducted by the CDC in 2009, the direct and indirect cost of obesity costs $147 billion annually.

The study also found that obese patients spend an average of $1,429 more for their medical care than people within a normal weight range.

There is good news in all of this. Obesity has gained attention over the past few years. This means more attention is being paid to a solution. People struggling with obesity have more support and solutions than ever before. If you’re struggling with obesity, there’s hope. There’s help.