Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among US Children, Adolescents, and Adults, 1999-2002

Bibliographic Data

ID23324809
AuthorsAllison A Hedley, Allison Hedley (Epidemic Intelligence Service, corresponding author)
Year2004
Volume291
Issue23
Pages2847
Publication date2004-06-16
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJAMA (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0098-7484 • E-ISSN: 1538-3598
PublisherAmerican Medical Association (AMA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1001/jama.291.23.2847
PMID15199035
OpenAlexW1975390269
LanguageEN
Citations received304
References cited5

CONTEXT: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased markedly in the last 2 decades in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To update the US prevalence estimates of overweight in children and obesity in adults, using the most recent national data of height and weight measurements. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: As part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a complex multistage probability sample of the US noninstitutionalized civilian population, both height and weight measurements were obtained from 4115 adults and 4018 children in 1999-2000 and from 4390 adults and 4258 children in 2001-2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Prevalence of overweight (body mass index [BMI] > or =95th percentile of the sex-specific BMI-for-age growth chart) among children and prevalence of overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9), obesity (BMI > or =30.0), and extreme obesity (BMI > or =40.0) among adults by sex, age, and racial/ethnic group. RESULTS: Between 1999-2000 and 2001-2002, there were no significant changes among adults in the prevalence of overweight or obesity (64.5% vs 65.7%), obesity (30.5% vs 30.6%), or extreme obesity (4.7% vs 5.1%), or among children aged 6 through 19 years in the prevalence of at risk for overweight or overweight (29.9% vs 31.5%) or overweight (15.0% vs 16.5%). Overall, among adults aged at least 20 years in 1999-2002, 65.1% were overweight or obese, 30.4% were obese, and 4.9% were extremely obese. Among children aged 6 through 19 years in 1999-2002, 31.0% were at risk for overweight or overweight and 16.0% were overweight. The NHANES results indicate continuing disparities by sex and between racial/ethnic groups in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. CONCLUSIONS: There is no indication that the prevalence of obesity among adults and overweight among children is decreasing. The high levels of overweight among children and obesity among adults remain a major public health concern.

Body mass index · Environmental health · Growth chart · National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey · Obesity · Overweight · Percentile · Population · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues · Demography · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Occupational Health and Performance · Gerontology · Pediatrics

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