Detecting Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States : A Strategic Analysis for F-Indicator 10

Childhood and adolescent obesity is becoming an increasing health concern in many countries, including the United States. In Sweden, about one in four children are overweight and two to six percent of them are obese, according to the Swedish Research Portal. In the United States, an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents are obese, estimates the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Overweight children and adolescents face an increased risk of developing the following diseases: “hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type 2 diabetes as a youth.” Patients with abdominal obesity, which results in an “apple shaped” body type have even more increased risks. The high number of generally obese children and adolescents, in addition to the increased health risks for general and abdominal obesity, calls for an accurate, simple way of measuring body fatness.