The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the first annual State of Childhood Obesity: Helping All Children Grow Up Healthy. The report includes the best available data on national and state childhood obesity rates, recommended policies to help address the epidemic, and stories of communities and individuals taking action across the nation.
New data included in the report show that 4.8 million youth ages 10 to 17 nationwide have obesity, and rates vary widely by state. The new data come from the 2017 and 2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), along with analysis conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
The full release, including videos and interactive data features, can be found at www.StateOfChildhoodObesity.org.