India, July 17 -- Childhood obesity has been increasing rapidly over the past few decades, rising fourfold between 1990 and 2022, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
The study analyzed data from nearly 26,000 children who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2008 to 2023. It found a shocking 253 percent increase in extremely severe obesity over that period. While all categories of obesity increased, the rise was most noticeable among teens aged 16 to 18 and among non-Hispanic Black children.
Obesity in children is measured using Body Mass Index (BMI), which compares a child's weight to others of the same age and sex. A child is considered obese if their BMI is higher than 95 perc...