Childhood obesity rates vary state to state

The prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight appears to vary widely among states, with the highest rates in the southern United States, according to recent research.

Researchers conducted a temporal, cross-sectional analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health Data to examine changes in obesity and overweight prevalence at the state level. A total of 46,707 children aged 10 to 17 years were surveyed in 2003 and 44,101 children participated in 2007.

In 2007, 16.4% of children were obese and 31.6% were overweight in the United States. The researchers noted significant variations of obesity state to state, with the highest in Mississippi (21.9%) and the lowest in Oregon (9.6%). The rate of overweight children was again highest in Mississippi (44.5%) and lowest in Utah (23.1%).

The magnitude of state variations was more significant for boys than girls, according to the researchers.

The overall obesity prevalence of U.S. children increased by 10% between 2003 and 2007. This rate rose by 18% in girls, declined by 32% for children in Oregon and doubled for girls in Arizona and Kansas. Children in Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Georgia and Kansas had more than double the adjusted odds of being obese than children in Oregon.

These geographic patterns resemble those noted among adult populations in previous research, the researchers said. Numerous Southern states — Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee — placed in the top one-fifth in 2007 childhood and adult obesity rates. Southern region rates were the highest and Western region rates the lowest for both children and adults.

“Prevention programs for reducing disparities in childhood obesity should not only include behavioral interventions aimed at reducing children’s physical inactivity levels and limiting their television viewing and recreational screen time, but should also include social policy measures aimed at improving the broader social and physical environments that create obesogenic conditions that put children at risk for poor diet, physical inactivity and other sedentary activities,” the researchers concluded.

Singh GK. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2010;164:doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.84.