Nearly 20% of U.S. kids are obese

Nearly one in five U.S. kids are obese, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data reported by the Associated Press. The findings come from a health survey that measures participants’ height and weight conducted in 2017 and 2018. The surveys found that 19.3% of kids aged 2–19 were obese, which is up slightly from 18.5% in the 2015–2016 national survey. The increase isn’t considered statistically significant, meaning there is a mathematical chance the rates didn’t truly rise. However, it follows an upward trend from 2005–2006, when 15.4% of U.S. kids were obese. The percentage of kids who are severely obese remains at about 6%, where it has been for several years.

The CDC quietly released the findings in an infographic in the April 3 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).