Georgia Stats
- Georgia has the 2nd highest percent of obese children* in the United States.
- Nearly 40% of children in Georgia are overweight or obese, indicating that nearly 1 million children are facing negative health consequences related to obesity.
- Obesity rates in Georgia are far above the 5% average for all age groups in the state, targeted by the CDC.
Sources for Georgia stats
*ages 10 to 17
National Stats
- The childhood obesity epidemic in the United States is a national health crisis. Nearly one in three children ages 2-19 (31.7%) is overweight or obese.
- Childhood obesity in the United States has tripled since 1980 from 5% to 17%, based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the CDC.
Sources for national stats
General Health Stats
- Excess weight impacts children’s mental and physical wellbeing and is associated with asthma, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and more. Due to this increase in negative health consequences, it is estimated that the current generation may be on track to have a shorter lifespan than their parents.
- Georgia’s obesity costs are estimated to be $2.4 billion per year due to the rise in this epidemic.
- Obesity-related hospitalizations of children in the state cost $2.1 million a year and continue to rise. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates annual heath expenses for a child treated for obesity is between $2,500 and $4,200 more than annual healthcare costs of normal weight children.
- Obese children are more likely than normal weight children to become obese adults leading to continued risk factors and disease.
Sources for general health stats
Health Behavior Stats
- 2007 Georgia Student Health Survey indicates poor diet and physical inactivity in the state’s youth:
- Only five in nine (55%) middle school students and four in nine (44%) high school students in Georgia meet the CDC requirements for at least 60 minutes of physical activity five or more days per week.
- More than two in five of Georgia's middle school students (44%) and high school students (43%) exceed the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended guidelines of two hours of screen time per day.
- Only one in five (19%) high school students in Georgia consume five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
Sources for health behavior stats