Joseph King, Contributing Writer05.01.13
Over the course of the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children (6-11) and tripled in adolescents (aged 12-19), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The percentage of obese children aged 6-11 years in the U.S. increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of obese adolescents aged 12-19 years increased from 5% to 18% over the same period, according to the CDC.
The American Heart Association (AHA) called childhood obesity “the number one health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking.” In its publication Understanding Childhood Obesity, the AHA cited a number of physical and mental health problems in children arising from obesity: high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels; low self-esteem, negative body image and depression.
Further exacerbating the situation, according to the AHA, overweight kids have a 70-80% likelihood
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