Childhood ObesityChildhood obesity is a growing national problem. Over the past three decades, obesity rates have skyrocketed among children of all ages, nearly quadrupling for children ages 6–11. Today, one-third of American children and teens are either obese or overweight. Sadly, our adolescents are now the most obese teenagers in the world. Further, these teens have up to an 80 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults, and they will likely face significant health problems as a result of their obesity. Obese children are being diagnosed with health problems once only seen in adults, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. They are also at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and several forms of cancer. The direct and indirect costs associated with obesity in the U.S. are currently estimated at $117 billion annually and are growing.

Our nation cannot afford to continue down this current path. This fact sheet identifies several policy recommendations we believe are essential to halting this alarming trend.