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 2023-2024, 16.1% of youth ages 6 to 17 had obesity.
There were significant racial and ethnic differences. In 2023-2024, Non-Hispanic Asian children had the lowest obesity rate (9.3%) followed by Non-Hispanic White children (12.8%). Obesity rates were significantly higher for non-Hispanic Black (23.0%), Hispanic (20.6%), non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander alone or in combination with another race (19.2%), and American Indian/Alaska Native (17.9%) children alone or in combination with another race.
There were significant differences based on family income to poverty ratio. In 2023-2024, children in the lowest income group (<100% of the poverty level) had the highest rates of obesity (23.5%) while children in the highest income group (≥400% of the poverty level) had the lowest rates of obesity (10.0%).
Seven states had youth obesity rates significantly higher than the national rate (16.1%): Mississippi (24.3%), West Virginia (23.0%), Arkansas (22.7%), Louisiana (20.9%), Delaware (20.5%), Alabama (20.2%), and Maine (19.8%).
Five states had youth obesity rates significantly lower than the national rate (16.1%): Colorado (10.1%), Massachusetts (10.8%), Utah (11.7%), Minnesota (12.0%), and North Dakota (12.9%).
