Coalition for Active Children

Obesity Trends in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services.

Since it was founded in 1946 to help control malaria, CDC has remained at the forefront of public health efforts to prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. Today, CDC is globally recognized for conducting research and investigations and for its action oriented approach. CDC applies research and findings to improve people’s daily lives and responds to health emergencies—something that distinguishes CDC from its peer agencies.

CDC is committed to achieving true improvements in people’s health. To do this, the agency is defining specific health impact goals to prioritize and focus its work and investments and measure progress. Currently one of it's focus areas is obesity.

During the past 20 years, obesity among adults has risen significantly in the United States. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older—over 60 million people—are obese.

This increase is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6–19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight.

These increasing rates raise concern because of their implications for Americans’ health. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

• Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

Although one of the national health objectives for the year 2010 is to reduce the prevalence of obesity among adults to less than 15%, current data indicate that the situation is worsening rather than improving. This site provides a variety of information designed to help people understand this serious health issue and the efforts being made to address it.

According to The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, the cost of obesity in the United States in 2000 was more than $117 billion ($61 billion direct and $56 billion indirect).

Results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1999–2002 indicate that an estimated 16 percent of children and adolescents ages 6–19 years are overweight. For children, overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile of the CDC growth charts for age and gender.

CDC and its partners work in a variety of ways to prevent and control obesity. A few examples of these efforts include:

• CDC funds a number of programs in state health departments, communities, and schools. For example, CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity funds state health department programs to help develop and carry out targeted nutrition and physical activity interventions to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases. CDC also provides consultation, technical assistance, and training to use programs.
• CDC funds other programs which have physical activity, nutrition, and obesity components, such as STEPS to a HealthierUS and Coordinated School Health Programs.
• CDC monitors weight status or related behaviors, such as diet and physical activity. These efforts include the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS), and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).
• CDC funds and conducts research on the individual and environmental factors that determine weight status and related health effects, on strategies and interventions to change weight or weight-related behaviors, and on the economic impact of overweight and obesity.
• CDC provides growth charts that are used to identify weight problems among young people and provides training on the use of those charts.

View the report, Obesity Trends Among U.S. Adults between 1985 and 2005.

For more information, visit cdc.gov.

For more information about the Coalition for Active Children, please call (804) 748-1636.