The Scary Truth
A brief glimpse into some of the terrifying statistics we’re facing, and why we must act now.
More than one in four 17- to 24-year-olds in the United States are now too heavy to serve in the military, a development that retired military leaders say endangers national security.
A staggering 9.4% of children ages 2 to 5 already have obesity.
6- to 8-year-olds with obesity are approximately 10 times more likely to become obese adults than those with a lower body mass index.
An overweight adolescent has a 70% chance of becoming an overweight or obese adult.
Children with obesity are already demonstrating cardiovascular risk factors typically not seen until adulthood.
Children with weight issues are more likely to miss school and repeat a grade than children who are at a healthy weight.
Children and adolescents with obesity have a greater risk of social and psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression and poor self-esteem, which can continue into adulthood.
The proportion of kids having obesity increased dramatically during the pandemic while kids were isolated at home.
Resources: Partnership for a Healthier America; Centers for Disease Control; The Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.
Since 1980, the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents has almost tripled.
Approximately 22% of U.S. youth are now obese, and nearly one in three children and adolescents are either overweight or have obesity.
By 2060, the CDC estimates there will be a 700% increase in cases of Type 2 diabetes in Americans under the age of 20, and a 65% increase in Type 1 diabetes.
A third of the children born in 2000 in this country will develop diabetes during their lifetime.
Health care for obese children costs three times more than that of children at healthy weights, an estimated $14 billion every year.
The U.S. spends over $190 billion per year in obesity-related health care costs each year.