Study: 1 in 5 American youths obese

Young Americans are more overweight than ever, and every 1 in 5 is obese as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's growth chart, according to an analysis of a nationwide health survey.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey included 14,967 children and adolescents ages 2 to 19. The analysis used data from 2011 to March 2020, right before the pandemic started.

The result, recently published in JAMA Pediatrics, showed that among youth in that age group, the obesity rate was 17.7 percent in the 2011-2012 period, and increased to 21.5 percent in the 2017-2022 period.

Amanda Staiano, study leader and director of the pediatric obesity and health behavior lab at Louisiana State University, said she fears that the obesity rate will be even worse in the next survey.

"What is even more alarming is these data were all collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and other data published recently show that kids are gaining even more weight because of restrictions to their diet and activity during the pandemic," she told WebMD, a health information site.

The analysis found that between 2011 to 2020, obesity rates among boys rose from 18 percent to 21.4 percent and among girls from 17 percent to 21.6 percent. Obesity rates rose more significantly in preschoolers and teens but remained steady among children ages 6 to 11.

While obesity rates have increased for all ethnic groups, some have fared worse than others. The analysis found that obesity rates for youth ages 2 to 19 rose from 21.8 percent to 27 percent among Mexican Americans; from 19.5 percent to 23.8 percent among black youths and from 15 percent to 18.4 percent among white youths.

People with obesity are more likely to develop health problems including heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Staiano said investments are needed in lifestyle and behavioral weight management programs, medications, and metabolic and even bariatric surgery options for children to slow their weight gain or help them lose weight in a safe and sustainable way.

Dr David Katz, president of the True Health Initiative in Tulsa, Oklahoma, told WebMD that the obesity problem is worse because American society has never made any serious effort to fix it.

"The problem worsens because far more resources are invested in propagating the problem than in fixing it," Katz said. "We know, for instance, that we have a food supply of willfully addictive junk food designed to maximize eating yet make futile recommendations for 'portion control' without addressing the root cause."

Katz said what is needed is mandatory training about the dangers of overeating and not exercising and widespread reminders about healthy eating.