Youth obesity is on the rise

Overall obesity among US high school students has increased from 13.7% in 2013 to 15.9% in 2023 and 16.3% in 2021.

Three main methods of RT:

1. Youth obesity rates are on the rise in the United States: A Florida Atlantic University study published in the Ochsner Journal found that obesity among US high school students has increased from 13.7% in 2013 to 15.9% in 2023, with a peak of 16.3% in 2021.
2. Differences in groups: Higher rates of obesity have been consistently observed among black and Hispanic youth, while rates among Asian youth have nearly doubled over the decade. Male students showed higher obesity rates overall, while female students tended to lose weight.
3. Few teenagers are trying to lose weight: Despite the increase in obesity, the proportion of youth trying to lose weight decreased (from 47.7% to 44.5%), especially among older students, indicating a growing gap in health behaviors and the need for targeted public health interventions.

Nearly 1 in 5 teenagers in the United States are obese, which leads to many harmful medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and mental health struggles with low self-esteem and anxiety.

Understanding patterns of obesity and weight loss efforts among US youth is critical to developing effective clinical and public health interventions. However, data remains sparse on whether and how young adults attempt to lose weight.

To explore these issues, researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine analyzed obesity trends from 2013 to 2023 among 85,588 U.S. high school students (grades 9 through 12) using the Adolescent Risk Behavior Survey, the most recent data from the CDC. They examined patterns of overweight, obesity, and weight loss efforts, both overall and in subgroups of gender, grade level, race, and ethnicity. Overweight describes young people as above a healthy weight for their height, while obesity is more common. Adolescent overweight and obesity are associated with increased health risks in both the short and long term.

The results of the study were published in 2015 Ochsner JournalOver the past decade, there has been a significant increase in youth obesity. Overall obesity among US high school students has increased from 13.7% in 2013 to 15.9% in 2023, reaching 16.3% in 2021. Black and Hispanic youth consistently had the highest rates, with increases of 21.2% and 20.2%, respectively, while their lowest rates nearly doubled from 5.6% to 11%. In contrast, the proportion of overweight students fell from 16.6% to 14.7%, largely due to a decline among male students.

Female students were more likely to lose weight than their male counterparts, but overall, fewer young people reported trying to lose weight in 2023 (44.5%) than in 2013 (47.7%). Efforts to lose weight dropped sharply between 10th and 12th grades, indicating a troubling gap in healthy behaviors as teens get older.

Male obesity rates rose steadily to 18.9% in 2019 before decreasing slightly to 18.2% in 2023, while female rates fluctuated with a low of 10.8% and a high of 13.7%. Among grades, 11th graders had the highest obesity rate in 2023 at 17.3%, followed by ninth graders, while ninth and 12th graders had the lowest rates of overweight.

“In the United States today, youth obesity rates continue to rise while efforts to lose weight have steadily declined,” said Charles H. Hennicks, MD, DrPH, FACPM, co-author and first professor of medicine and preventive medicine and senior academic adviser in FAU’s College of Medicine. “These findings highlight clinical and public health challenges and highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions.”

Taken together, the data paint a picture of a generation where overweight is becoming more common, even as motivation to manage weight — especially among female teens — is declining. While female teens still report trying to lose weight at a higher rate than their male counterparts, those efforts have decreased compared to previous years. This decline is significant because adolescent girls often experience greater body dissatisfaction and a desire to be thin, pressures likely to be amplified by social comparisons on platforms such as social media.

“While further research is needed, these data have implications for clinicians and public health professionals,” Heinekens said. “These patterns highlight the need for clinical and public health strategies to address these challenges in US youth to prevent future morbidity and mortality.”

Researchers emphasize school programs that promote nutrition knowledge, body image and mental health to help young people develop sustainable healthy habits. Public health policy should also address motivation, with initiatives such as the CDC’s statewide Physical Activity and Nutrition Program to address high obesity rates in men and weight loss efforts in women.