The Facts page 1

NC Healthy Weight Initiative
The Facts on Childhood Overweight

The percentage of children who are overweight in the United States doubled during the past two decades and the percentage among adolescents tripled (See Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents, United States, 1999-2000 for latest information). Data from the North Carolina Nutrition and Physical Activity Surveillance System (NC-NPASS) show an even greater increase in our state; however, there are early signs that the rate of increase may be slowing. Still, childhood overweight remains an epidemic in North Carolina affecting about:

One in four (26%) youth 12 to 18 years of age,
One in five (20.3%) children 5 to 11 years, and
One in eight (12%) preschool children 2 to 4 years of age.

Are certain groups at higher risk?
It is clear from NC-NPASS data that substantial proportions of children and youth of all races, ethnicities, and both genders are overweight and at-risk for overweight, but there are some differences among groups in North Carolina:

Among 2 to 4 year-olds, Asian/Pacific Islanders have the highest prevalence of overweight however among 5 to 11 year-olds, American Indians have the highest prevalence.
Young Hispanic children have a higher prevalence of overweight than non-Hispanic children of the same age; however, by adolescence, the rates are higher among non-Hispanic than Hispanic teens.
In American Indians and Blacks, more adolescent girls are overweight than boys; however in Whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders, adolescent boys are more likely to be overweight than girls.

The Facts page 2