Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. Both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what's considered healthy for his or her height. Children grow at different rates, so it isn't always easy to know when a child has obesity or is overweight. Ask your health care provider to check whether your child's weight and height are in a healthy range.

If a weight-loss program is necessary, involve the whole family in healthy habits so your child doesn't feel singled out. Encourage healthy eating by

• Serving more fruits and vegetables
• Buying fewer soft drinks and high-fat, high-calorie snack foods
• Making sure your child eats breakfast every day
• Eating fast food less often
• Not using food as a reward

Physical activity is also very important. Kids need about 60 minutes each day. It does not have to happen all at once. Several short periods of activity during the day are just as good.

Weight that is higher than what is considered healthy, based on a person’s height, is called “overweight” or “obesity.” A person with obesity has too much body fat. A person with overweight weighs too much, but the extra weight may come from muscle, bone, body water, and/or fat.

Healthcare providers often use body mass index (BMI) to determine if a person has overweight or obesity. Adults who have a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are generally considered to have overweight. Adults who have a BMI of 30 or higher are considered to have obesity. A child’s weight status is determined using a special chart that takes into account the child’s age and sex.

Obesity is a chronic disease. Having obesity increases a person’s risk for health conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bone and joint problems, and circulatory issues, to name a few.

Childhood obesity is a serious health problem in the United States where 1 in 5 children and adolescents are affected. Some groups of children are more affected than others, but all children are at risk of gaining weight that is higher than what is considered healthy.

Obesity is complex. Many factors can contribute to excess weight gain including behavior, genetics and taking certain medications. But societal and community factors also matter: child care and school environments, neighborhood design, access to healthy, affordable foods and beverages, and access to safe and convenient places for physical activity affect our ability to make healthy choices.

Every child deserves a healthy start in life. Learn what parents and caregivers can to do help prevent obesity at home, how healthcare systems can help families prevent and manage childhood obesity, and what strategies communities can use to support a healthy, active lifestyle for all.

Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States, putting children and adolescents at risk for poor health. Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents is still too high.

For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years in 2017-2020:

• The prevalence of obesity was 19.7% and affected about 14.7 million children and adolescents.
• Obesity prevalence was 12.7% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.7% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 22.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds. Childhood obesity is also more common among certain populations.
• Obesity prevalence was 26.2% among Hispanic children, 24.8% among non-Hispanic Black children, 16.6% among non-Hispanic White children, and 9.0% among non-Hispanic Asian children.
• Obesity-related conditions include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea, and joint problems.

Childhood obesity is an increasingly serious problem in the United States. Nearly 1 in 5 children have obesity. Children with obesity are more likely to develop other serious health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. They are also more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.

Obesity affects children from different backgrounds differently. About 1 in 4 Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children have obesity. This is a challenge for parents, because addressing their child’s weight often means making lifestyle changes for the whole family.

Prevention

All children should visit a healthcare provider every year for wellness check-ups that include monitoring of weight and calculation of body mass index (BMI) percentiles. Some of the best ways to prevent childhood obesity are to:

• Choose and prepare healthy foods that are lower in fat and have less calories. Use this guide (PDF, 136 KB) to help your family make smart food choices.
• Get regular physical activity. Your children should get at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Learn more about helping them get active every day.
• Reduce screen time. Try to limit screen time at home to 2 hours or less each day.
• Get enough good-quality sleep. NHLBI research has shown a relationship between lack of sleep and obesity that begins as early as infancy. See the recommended hours for children at every age.

The We Can! program offers a free, printable guide for parents, called Eat! Play! Grow! (PDF, 31.3 MB), on how to accomplish these goals.

Risk Factors

Researchers agree that children inherit genes, the blueprints for our bodies, that make them more likely to have obesity. However, that genetic risk does not account for the increase in childhood obesity seen in recent years. A child’s community also has an impact on their weight, as the community can affect a family’s ability to make healthy choices. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables may be difficult to get, roads without sidewalks may make it unsafe to walk for exercise, or healthy meal choices in schools may be unavailable.

Most parents, however, do have some control over other risk factors that increase a child’s risk of having obesity. These include:

• Eating a high-calorie, low-nutrient diet
• Not getting enough good-quality sleep
• Too much screen time
• Too little physical activity
• Personal or family stress or trauma

BMI for children

BMI is used to determine whether your child’s weight fits the criteria for overweight or obesity. It is compared with growth charts for children who are the same age and sex as your child.

To learn your child’s percentile, use the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s BMI percentile calculator for children and teens.

• Underweight is a BMI below the 5th percentile.
• Healthy weight is a BMI between the 5th to the 85th percentile.
• Overweight is a BMI between the 85th percentile and the 95th percentile.
• Obesity is a BMI in the 95th percentile or above.

Treatment

Your child’s provider will monitor your child’s BMI and overall health during regular visits. They may talk to you about healthy lifestyle changes you can make as a family. If your child’s weight does not respond to those, your child’s provider may recommend medicine.

The good news for parents is that childhood obesity is reversible. Even small decreases in weight can have a positive impact on current health and future risk of health problems. The key is to learn the basics of maintaining a healthy weight, seek out resources in your community, and get both medical and mental health care for your child as needed.

Several factors can play a role in gaining and retaining excess weight. These include diet, lack of exercise, environmental factors, and genetics. Some of these factors are discussed briefly in the following section.

Food and Activity

People gain weight when they eat more calories than they burn through activity. This imbalance is the greatest contributor to weight gain.

Environment

The world around us influences our ability to maintain a healthy weight. For example:

• Not having area parks, sidewalks, and affordable gyms makes it hard for people to be physically active.
• Oversized food portions increase Americans’ calorie intake, making even more physical activity necessary to maintain a healthy weight.
• Some people don’t have access to supermarkets that sell affordable healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Food advertising encourages people to buy unhealthy foods, such as high-fat snacks and sugary drinks.

Genetics

Research shows that genetics plays a role in obesity. Genes can directly cause obesity in such disorders as Prader-Willi syndrome.

Genes also may contribute to a person’s susceptibility to weight gain. Scientists believe that genes may increase a person’s likelihood of having obesity but that outside factors, such as an abundant food supply or little physical activity, also may be required for a person to have excess weight.

Health Conditions and Medications

Some hormone problems may cause overweight and obesity, such as underactive thyroid, Cushing syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Certain medicines also may cause weight gain, including some corticosteroids, antidepressants, and seizure medicines.

Stress, Emotional Factors, and Poor Sleep

Some people eat more than usual when they are bored, angry, upset, or stressed.

Studies also have found that the less people sleep, the more likely they are to have overweight or obesity. This is partly because hormones that are released during sleep help control appetite and the body’s use of energy.

In adults, having overweight or obesity increases the risks for several problems, including:

• Coronary heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Certain types of cancer
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Unhealthy levels of certain types of blood fats, such as high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides
• Stroke
• Liver and gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Osteoarthritis, a breaking down of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint
• Gynecological problems, such as infertility

Overweight and obesity also increase the health risks for children and teens. For example, type 2 diabetes once was rare in American children, but the number of children with it today has grown rapidly. Early onset of type 2 diabetes can cause the early onset of complications such as vision loss, nerve damage, and cardiovascular disease.

Some of the possible effects of children having obesity include:

• High blood pressure and cholesterol
• Liver disease
• Sleep apnea and other lung-related problems
• Problems related to bone development
• Early onset of menstruation for girls
• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood

In addition, children who have overweight are more likely to have overweight or obesity as adults.

Using Body Mass Index (BMI)

The most common way to determine if a person has overweight or obesity is to calculate BMI, which is an estimate of body fat that compares a person’s weight to their height.

Healthcare providers use BMI, along with information about additional risk factors, to determine a person’s risk for developing weight-related diseases. Usually, the higher a person’s BMI, the higher the risk of disease.

BMI for Adults

An adult’s BMI can be determined using a BMI calculator. Healthcare providers use BMI ranges to indicate a person's weight status. For adults, a BMI of:

• 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal weight
• 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight
• 30.0 to 39.9 is considered obesity
• 40.0 and higher is considered extreme obesity

It is important to remember that although BMI is generally a good way to estimate how much body fat a person has, it does not measure body fat directly and therefore is not reliable in all cases. For example, a person may have extra weight because he or she is athletic and has a lot of muscle, and not because he or she has excess body fat.

BMI for Children and Teens

For children age 2 and older and for teens, BMI uses weight and height, but adds sex and age into the calculation. Instead of using a specific number like the BMI charts for adults, the BMI for children and teens is listed as a percent. This percentage indicates a child’s BMI in relation to the BMIs of other children of the same sex and age. A child and teen BMI calculator can provide a BMI.

Children age 2 and older are considered to have:

• A healthy weight if their BMI falls between the 5th and the 85th percentiles
• Overweight if their BMI is between the 85th and 95th percentiles
• Obesity if their BMI is at or higher than the 95th percentile

Other Ways to Measure Body Fat

Body fat can be measured in other ways than BMI, including waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, measuring the thickness of a skinfold (a pinch of skin and fat), and techniques such as ultrasound that are more precise than BMI. A healthcare provider can help determine if such tests are necessary.

BMI for Children and Teens

Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to determine childhood weight status. BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age.

A child’s weight status is different from adult BMI categories. Children’s body composition varies as they age and varies between boys and girls. Therefore, BMI levels among children and teens need to be expressed relative to other children of the same age and sex.

For example, a 10-year-old boy of average height (56 inches) who weighs 102 pounds would have a BMI of 22.9 kg/m². This would place the boy in the 95^th percentile for BMI, and he would be considered as having obesity. This means that the child’s BMI is greater than the BMI of 95% of 10-year-old boys in the reference population.

CDC Growth Charts are commonly used to measure the size and growth patterns of children and teens in the United States. BMI-for-age weight status categories and the corresponding percentiles, based on expert committee recommendations, and are in the following table:

In children, BMI percentile cutoffs for obesity are intended to reliably define a level above which a child is more likely to have or be at risk of developing obesity-associated adverse health outcomes or diseases.

BMI does not measure body fat directly, but BMI is correlated with more direct measures of body fat, such as skinfold thickness measurements, bioelectrical impedance, densitometry (underwater weighing), dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and other methods. BMI can be considered a practical alternative to direct measures of body fat. A trained healthcare provider should perform appropriate health assessments to evaluate an individual’s health status and risks.

To maintain a healthy weight, it is important to create a balance between the calories taken in and the calories used. To lose weight, a person usually needs to reduce calories and increase physical activity.

If lifestyle changes are not enough to reduce weight, medicines and weight-loss surgery may also be options for some people.

What are some tips for healthy eating?

• Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products.
• Include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
• Eat a diet low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
• Drink more water instead of sugary drinks.

How much physical activity does an adult need?

Getting enough physical activity is an important way to help prevent or reduce the risk of overweight and obesity and related health problems.

• Adults age 18 and older need at least 30 minutes of physical activity on 5 or more days of the week to be healthy.
• Children and teens need at least 60 minutes of activity a day for their health.

Childhood obesity is a complex disease with many contributing factors, including genetics, eating patterns, physical activity levels, and sleep routines. Conditions where we live, learn, work, and play can make healthy eating and getting enough physical activity difficult if these conditions do not support health.

About 1 in 5 American children has obesity. Compared to children with healthy weight, children with overweight or obesity are at a higher risk for asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Adults with obesity have higher risks for stroke, many types of cancer, premature death, and mental illness, such as clinical depression and anxiety.

Though there is no one solution to addressing obesity, there are many ways parents and caregivers can help children have a healthy weight and set up lifelong healthy habits at home.

Model a Healthy Eating Pattern

Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are often less expensive than fresh and still good for you.

Look for low sodium or no salt added vegetables and fruits packed in 100% fruit juice.

Adopting healthy eating patterns as a family helps children reach and maintain a healthy weight as they age. Eating a variety of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean protein foods, and low-fat and fat-free dairy products follows nutrition guidelines and sets your family up for optimal health.

Help your children get the nutrients they need by making half their plate fruits and vegetables. Help kids rethink their drink by replacing sugary drinks, such as soda, fruit drinks, and flavored milk, with water, 100% juice, or plain low-fat milk.

Move More as a Family

Physically active youth have stronger muscles and bones, better cardiovascular fitness, and lower body fat than those who are inactive. Children aged 3–5 years should be physically active throughout the day. Children aged 6–17 years need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

Help your children move more and meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans by making it a family affair. Walking the family pet before and after school, riding bikes, and having races in the yard all count toward physical activity. Active chores, such as washing the car, vacuuming a room, or raking leaves, also count.

Set Consistent Sleep Routines

Good sleep helps prevent type 2 diabetes, obesity, injuries, and problems with attention and behavior. Kids who don’t get enough sleep are at risk for unhealthy weight gain. Researchers are still trying to learn how sleep is linked to weight gain. Some reasons might include causing a child to eat more or to be less physical active because of to lack of energy.

How much sleep do kids need?
Preschoolers need 11–13 hours of sleep per day, including naps. Children 6–12 years old need 9–12 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, and youth 13–18 need 8–10 hours. Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, including on weekends, can help children sleep better.

Replace Screen Time with Family Time

In young people, too much screen time can lead to poor sleep, weight gain, lower grades in school, and poor mental health. Reducing screen time can free up time for family activities and can remove cues to eat unhealthy food.

Turning screens off an hour before bed and removing screens from children’s bedrooms can help reduce screen time and improve sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends creating a family media plan with examples of how to reduce screen time.

Talk to your child’s healthcare provider if you’re concerned about potential health risks associated with excess weight. Families can adopt healthy routines together, but they also need supportive environments. Learn more about what can be done to make healthy and active living accessible for everyone.

Research is starting to improve our understanding of obesity in the United States and how obesity affects short- and long-term health. Even young children are at risk for becoming obese, making them vulnerable to diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions throughout their lives.

The good news is that with better knowledge, actions can be taken to prevent the development of overweight and obesity—starting even before pregnancy. For example, the following steps can help ensure a healthy pregnancy and reduce the chance that a child will be overweight or obese:

• Women who are planning a pregnancy can take steps to achieve a healthy weight.
• Women who have diabetes (high blood sugar) can modify their lifestyle by achieving a healthy weight, engaging in physical activity, and getting their diabetes under control before they get pregnant.
• By getting regular prenatal care and tracking their weight gain during pregnancy, women can ensure that they gain the proper amount of weight while pregnant.
• Breastfeeding can help reduce the long-term risk that an infant will become obese or develop diabetes or high blood pressure.
• Being at a healthy weight before pregnancy reduces the chances that a woman will develop gestational diabetes (high blood sugar that starts during pregnancy). Children whose mothers had gestational diabetes are at higher lifetime risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes can also cause problems for the newborn, including dangerously low blood sugar, difficulty breathing at birth because of delayed lung maturation, neonatal liver disease, and large body size that may cause injuries at birth.
• By stopping smoking during pregnancy, women can reduce the chances that their infant will develop obesity during his or her lifetime.
• Breastfeeding an infant for at least 6 months and making sure that he or she gets enough sleep can also help increase the chances that he or she maintains a healthy weight for life.

Obesity in children has risen dramatically worldwide. Worldwide, an estimated 1 in 10 children is overweight, a total of 155 million. Of those children, 30-45 million are obese. By 2010, nearly half of the children in North and South America and about 38% of the children in the European Union will be overweight.

Health professionals are deeply concerned about the rise in childhood obesity because children's bodies are still in the process of developing. Because of this, obesity is even more dangerous to children than it is to adults. Being overweight when young seems to be more destructive to almost every major organ than being overweight when older - and the damage is probably irreversible. Childhood obesity is particularly grave because it leads to serious medical conditions once seen almost exclusively in adults: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gallstones. Sleep apnea, thought to be linked with learning and memory problems, is common among obese children, as are orthopedic problems, liver disease, and asthma.

Investigators using ultrasound imaging have detected fatty deposits in the arteries of children as young as 10- deposits that are more typical of middle-aged adults than of children. The fatty deposits present the possibility that children may develop heart disease decades earlier than once thought possible. If, as the saying goes, "You're as old as your arteries," then obese children are at serious risk for heart disease and even death during their childhoods.

As overweight children move into their adult years, experts fear an epidemic of heart disease, strokes, cancer, and other health problems. Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of growing up to be overweight or obese adults.

Many factors have contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic: decreasing physical activity, consumption of high-calorie food, and increasingly easy availability of food.

Prevention

You can help treat or prevent childhood obesity by:

• Encouraging your child to eat healthy foods and to play and exercise outdoors
• Being a good role model by eating wisely and exercising regularly
• Not using food as a reward or punishment
• Taking your child to a pediatrician for well-child visits regularly
• Being patient
• Encouraging your child's school to serve healthy foods and provide adequate time for physical exercise

Healthy habits are the building blocks of lifelong well-being for children and teens. Healthy eating and physical activity are important for growth and development and to prevent chronic health conditions. They can also help boost students’ academic performance.

But eating well and being active are only part of the picture. For good mental and physical health, kids also need plenty of sleep and limited screen time.

Parents, guardians, and teachers can help children and teens develop healthy habits with these tips:

Ensure adequate sleep

Children and teens need more sleep than adults, and the amount varies by age. Too little sleep is associated with obesity, partly because inadequate sleep may make us eat more and be less physically active. See the recommended amounts of sleep by age and suggested habits to improve sleep.

Reduce screen time

In young people, too much screen time is associated with poor sleep, weight gain, lower grades in school, and poor mental health. Reducing screen time can help free up time for individual and family activities, improve sleep, and limit cues to eat unhealthy food.

Limit the time children and teens watch television, play video games, or using a smartphone or tablet. Instead, encourage children and teens to find fun activities to do with their friends and family members or on their own that involve more activity.

Develop healthy eating habits

To help children and teens develop healthy eating habits:

• Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products.
• Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein.
• Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
• Encourage your family to drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Limit added sugar and saturated fat.

Additionally, you can:

• Encourage kids to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch whether at home or at school.
• Review school menus with your kids and encourage them to try new foods.
• Model healthy eating at home.

Remember that small changes every day can lead to success!

For more information about nutrition, visit Choose My Plate for children and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Limit snacks with lots of salt, added sugar, and saturated fat

Limiting snacks with high amounts of saturated fat, added sugar, and salt can help support healthy eating habits. If these foods are eaten less often, they will truly be treats! For everyday snacks, try these easy-to-prepare options.

• 1 cup carrots, broccoli, or bell peppers with 2 tablespoons hummus.
• A medium apple or banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter.
• 1 cup blueberries or grapes with 1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt.
• One-fourth cup of tuna wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

Help children and teens stay active

In addition to being fun, regular physical activity has many health benefits, including:

• Strengthening bones and muscles.
• Decreasing blood pressure.
• Reducing risk of several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• Reducing risk of depression.
• Boosting academic performance by improving attention and memory.
• Helping regulate body weight and reduce body fat.

Children ages 3 through 5 should be active throughout the day. Children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 should be physically active at least 60 minutes each day. Include aerobic activity, which is anything that makes their heart beat faster. Also, include bone-strengthening activities such as running or jumping and muscle-strengthening activities such as climbing or push-ups.

To help children and teens get enough physical activity:

• Make physical activity part of your family’s daily routine by taking walks or playing active games together.
• Encourage children and teens to find fun activities to do on their own or with friends and family, such as walking or riding bikes.
• Take young people to places where they can be active, such as public parks or playgrounds, community baseball fields, or community basketball courts.
• Encourage your child to participate in school or community physical activity or sports programs.

Remember that children imitate adults. Start adding physical activity to your own routine and encourage your child to join you.

How does physical activity help my child?

Experts suggest that preschool-age children (ages 3 through 5 years) should be physically active throughout the day to help them grow and develop. As a parent or caregiver, you play a big role in helping kids get up and get moving.

If you are caring for preschoolers, try to make sure they get about 3 hours of physical activities each day. Those activities could be light, moderate, or vigorous in intensity. If you are caring for school-age children (ages 6 through 17 years), try to get them to do at least 1 hour of physical activity each day. Experts suggest activities that are moderately or vigorously intense. Bicycling, jumping rope, and playing basketball or soccer are some ways for children to be active.

How can I help my child be more active?

There are many ways you can help.

• As you work to develop a physical activity routine, you can be a role model for your children. If they see you being physically active and having fun, they might grow to like it and stick with it.
• Involve the whole family in activities like dancing or playing a favorite sport.
• Focus on fun. You can do a lot of walking during trips to the zoo or park.
• Include children in family activities like walking the dog, washing the car, or cleaning the house.
• Sign up your children for after-school programs or lessons in an activity or sport they enjoy, if they’re available and you can afford it.
• Team up with your children to play sports or dance video games that get everyone moving.
• Share tips with your children about how to be physically active throughout the day.
• Consider using an interactive online tool to find ways to help your children get more physical activity.

Reduce inactive screen time. Sitting for hours at a time, while using computers, hand-held devices, music players, or TVs, may reduce your child's active playtime.

Pediatricians suggest limiting the time children use digital media outside of homework time. Between ages 2 and 5, allow your children no more than 1 hour of screen time. For children ages 6 and older, set consistent limits on media time. That will help you be sure they have enough time for physical activity, play, sleep, and other healthy behaviors.

Try these tips to reduce your child's screen time

• Do not use screen time to reward your child.
• Set up a family game night and turn off all the screens in your home.
• Eat meals together with no media use. Do not eat in front of a screen.
• Limit time in front of TV or other devices and remove them from your child's bedroom.
• Designate media-free places in your home, such as bedrooms.

What should I do if my child is overweight or has obesity?

Children who are overweight are more likely to become adults who are overweight. These children may develop high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and other serious health problems. Weight problems may also lead to stress, sadness, and low self-esteem in children. Because children grow at different rates at different times, it is not always easy to tell if a child is overweight. For example, it is normal for boys to have a growth spurt in weight and catch up in height later.

Ask your health care professional to measure your children and tell you if they are in a healthy range for their age and gender. You can also calculate your child's body mass index (BMI), then discuss any concerns with your child's health care professional. BMI is a measure of body fat calculated from weight and height. If your provider tells you that your child weighs more than he or she should, there are ways you can help your child who is struggling with his or her weight.

How can I help my child with his or her weight?

Here are some do’s and don’ts.

• Accept and love your child at any weight. Doing so will boost self-esteem.
• Involve the whole family in following healthy habits, even if other family members are not overweight.
• Focus on healthy eating, regular physical activity, and adequate sleep, rather than a number on the scale.
• Help your child find ways other than food or beverages to handle setbacks or mark successes.
• Talk with your health care professional to get trusted advice about addressing your child’s health habits and weight. The internet is full of misinformation that may be hard to distinguish from good advice.

Remember, you play the biggest role in your children's lives. You can help your children learn healthy eating, physical activity, and other habits to follow for the rest of their lives.

Childhood obesity in the United States is a serious public health issue that puts children and adolescents at risk for poor health, and the COVID-19 pandemic may have made this problem worse.

In 2017–2018, before the pandemic, obesity affected 19.3% of children ages 2 to 19 years, amounting to about 14.4 million children and adolescents. There were notable racial and ethnic differences in rates of obesity as well: 25.6% among Hispanic children, 24.2% among non-Hispanic Black children, 16.1% among non-Hispanic White children, and 8.7% among non-Hispanic Asian children. Children with obesity are more likely to have type 2 diabetes, risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, muscle and joint problems, and fatty liver disease.

A study of 432,302 children ages 2 to 19 years found the rate of body mass index (BMI) increase nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a pre-pandemic period. This faster increase was most pronounced in children with overweight or obesity and younger school-aged children.

While children with COVID-19 are less likely than adults to develop severe illness, children are still at risk of developing severe illness and complications from COVID-19. And children with obesity may have worse outcomes from COVID-19. In a study of COVID-19 cases in patients ages 18 years and younger, those with obesity had a 3.1 times higher risk of hospitalization and a 1.4 times higher risk of severe illness when hospitalized, meaning that they were admitted to the intensive care unit, needed invasive mechanical ventilation, or died.

COVID-19 Vaccines Help Protect Adults and Children

Vaccinating eligible children is the best way to protect them from COVID-19, and it can also protect siblings who are not eligible for vaccination and family members at increased risk of getting very sick if they are infected.

Vaccination can also keep children from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19. Vaccinating children can help them stay in school and safely participate in sports, playdates, and other group activities. COVID-19 vaccines help protect whole families and slow the spread of COVID-19 in communities.

COVID-19 Highlights the Importance of Addressing Childhood Obesity

Several factors contribute to childhood obesity, including behavior, genetics, and community circumstances such as access to healthy food and safe places for physical activity. This pandemic emphasizes the importance of taking action on childhood obesity to protect and promote healthy lives for all children. Government agencies, healthcare professionals, parents and caregivers, and others can take steps to reduce childhood obesity:

Federal government is:

• Helping families with lower incomes get affordable, nutritious foods through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, and farm-to-education programs.
• Supporting children and families who are at higher risk for obesity through services at Federally Qualified Health Centers, Head Start, WIC, and other service agencies.
• Supporting and expanding family healthy weight programs.
• Funding and guiding states to set up programs that promote healthy eating, food and nutrition security, and physical activity, such as through CDC’s State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) program.
• Providing training and resources for community initiatives that aim to increase access to healthy food and opportunities for safe physical activity. Examples are CDC’s High Obesity Program (HOP) and Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program.

State, territorial, tribal, and local officials can:

• Create partnerships with community coalitions, food policy councils, equity task forces, and community members such as civic leaders, business owners, and school principals to make changes that promote healthy eating and active living in the community.
• Make it easier for families with children to access and buy healthy, affordable foods and beverages nearby.
• Help provide access to safe, free drinking water in places such as public parks, recreation areas, childcare centers, and schools.
• Help local schools open gyms, playgrounds, and sports fields during non-school hours so more children can safely play.
• Help childcare providers use best practices for improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, and decreasing non-educational computer and TV time.

Healthcare professionals can:

• Screen families for food insecurity and connect them to community resources.
• Routinely measure children’s weight and height and plot them on growth charts to calculate BMI and assess patterns.
• Counsel parents about nutrition, physical activity, and optimal sleep for their children while avoiding weight stigma.
• Connect families with community nutrition education and breastfeeding support services.
• Refer children ages 6 years and older with obesity to evidence-based, family-centered lifestyle programs to support healthy development.

Childcare providers, school professionals, community organizations, and parents and caregivers can:

• Serve fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods for meals and snacks.
• Be role models by eating healthy meals and snacks with children. Use MyPlate as a handy tool.
• Make water easily available throughout the day and limit sugary drinks.
• Limit time on non-educational TV and devices in childcare and the home.
• Support and encourage children and adolescents to be physically active every day.
• Encourage good sleep habits to help children and adolescents routinely get a good night’s sleep.