Roughly one in six youth have obesity, according to the newest available data. The data, from the National Survey of Children’s Health, show that in 2022-2023, 17.0% of youth ages 6 to 17 had obesity.
There were significant racial and ethnic differences. In 2022-2023, Non-Hispanic Asian children had the lowest obesity rate (10.6%) followed by Non-Hispanic White children (13.2%). Obesity rates were significantly higher for non-Hispanic Black (23.5%), Hispanic (22.2%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (19.2%) children alone or in combination with another race.
There were significant differences based on family income to poverty ratio. In 2022-2023, children in the lowest income group (<100% of the poverty level) had the highest rates of obesity (24.1%) while children in the highest income group (≥400% of the poverty level) had the lowest rates of obesity (10.4%).
Seven states had youth obesity rates significantly higher than the national rate (17.0%): Mississippi (25%), West Virginia (24.1%), Louisiana (23.1%), Alabama (22.8%), Arkansas (22.7%), Texas (21.0%), and Tennessee (19.9%).
Twelve states had youth obesity rates significantly lower than the national rate (17.0%): New Hampshire (11.2%), Vermont (11.2%), Minnesota (11.8%), Utah (12.1%), Colorado (12.5%), Massachusetts (12.9%), South Dakota (13.1%), North Dakota (13.4%), Wyoming (13.5%), Virginia (13.7%), Florida (13.8), Nebraska (14.0%).
Eleven states had youth obesity rates significantly lower than the national rate (17.0%): Minnesota (12.1%), Utah (12.2%), Washington (12.9%), Wyoming (12.9%), Idaho (13.0%), Vermont (13.0%), Massachusetts (13.1%), Montana (13.1%), New Hampshire (13.6%), Nebraska (13.8%), and Oregon (14.6%).
