What is childhood obesity?
Childhood obesity is a complex disorder that occurs when your child’s weight exceeds the normal weight for their age and height. Childhood obesity is defined medically as having a body mass index (BMI) that is at or above the 95th percentile on the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) particular growth charts. The BMI factors for children differ from those for adults.
Because children’s body compositions change as they grow, BMI is age and gender specific. They also differ between children who were born male and those who were born female.
How common is childhood obesity?
According to the most recent CDC figures, childhood obesity is on the rise. According to recent statistics:
- Obesity affects 13.4% of children aged 2 to 5.
- Obesity affects 20.3% of children aged 6 to 11.
- Obesity affects 21.2% of children aged 12 to 19.