The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States as well as in other developed and developing countries. Prevalence among children and adolescents has doubled in the past 2 decades in the United States.

Body mass index (BMI) is the ratio of weight in kilograms to the square of height in meters. BMI is widely used to define overweight and obesity, because it correlates well with more accurate measures of body fatness and is derived from commonly available data: weight and height.

BMI between 85th and 95th percentile for age and sex is considered at risk of overweight, and BMI at or above the 95th percentile is considered overweight or obese.

Obesity is associated with significant health problems in the pediatric age group and is an important early risk factor for much of adult morbidity and mortality. Medical problems are common in obese children and adolescents and can affect cardiovascular health (high cholesterol and lipid disorders, high blood pressure), glands, (hyperinsulinism, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, menstrual irregularity), and mental health (depression, low self-esteem).

Although treatment approaches for pediatric obesity may be effective in the short term, long-term outcome data for successful treatment approaches are limited. The intractable nature of adult obesity is well known. Therefore, it is incumbent on the pediatric community to take a leadership role in prevention and early recognition of pediatric obesity.

The CDC ranked obesity, after smoking, as the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. It accounts for approximately 280,000 deaths in the United States each year.*

Weight Status of Orange County Children: Normal Weight 65.2%, at risk of overweight 12.6%, Overweight 22.3%.

34.9% of children were either at risk of being overweight or overweight, totaling over 190,000. (One of three children)

Younger children were more likely to be overweight than older children, with 2 to 5 year olds making up approximately 38% of all overweight children.

Boys were more likely to be overweight or at risk of overweight than girls,with approximately 13% more boys reporting BMI scores above the 85th.

American Academy of Pediatrics

When it comes to an individual’s weight status, objective indicators such as the numbers on the scale or body mass index (BMI) only tell part of the story. An individual’s perception of their own and others’ weight status is influenced by social, cultural and psychological dynamics.

In general, Orange County adults had a fairly accurate picture of their own weight status. However, there were some notable differences between perception and reality along gender lines. Women were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight. In fact, just over 16% felt they were overweight when they were actually normal weight.

On the other hand, approximately 16% of Orange County men were apparently unaware of being overweight or obese.

Orange County parents were far less accurate when describing the weight status of their children. Well over two thirds of parents whose children were overweight (with a BMI score in the 95th percentile) were unaware that their child had a weight problem.

69% of overweight children were described as being “about the right weight” by their parents.

Orange County Health Needs Assessment