Obesity Stats

• More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese
• The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight
• Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are obese: 18.4% (2009-2010)
• Percent of children age 6-11 years who are obese: 18.0% (2009-2010)
• Percent of children age 2-5 years who are obese: 12.1% (2009-2010)
• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years
• In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese
• Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes
• Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem
• Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma