Childhood Obesity.

 Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. Children who are obese are above the normal weight for their age and height. BMI for Children and Teens. ... Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. The analysis found the percentage of children aged 2 to 19 years old who are obese increased from 14 percent in 1999 to 18.5 percent in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, the obesity rate in children aged 2 to 5 jumped from 9 to 14 percent, bringing them to their highest level of obesity since 1999, Skinner said. Parents and caregivers can help prevent childhood obesity by providing healthy meals and snacks, daily physical activity, and nutrition education. Healthy meals and snacks provide nutrition for growing bodies while modeling healthy eating behavior and attitudes. Obesity prevalence was 13.9% among 2- to 5-year-olds, 18.4% among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 20.6% among 12- to 19-year-olds. Childhood obesity is also more common among certain populations. Hispanics (25.8%) and non-Hispanic blacks (22.0%) had higher obesity prevalence than non-Hispanic whites