7 U.S. States With the Highest Childhood Obesity Rates

We already know that obesity is a growing problem among adults in our country, with more than a third considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What we often gloss over, though, is that obesity among children in the U.S. is just as concerning. With most adults seemingly reluctant to drastically alter their lifestyles enough to curb adult obesity, the importance of educating children early in their life about proper diet, exercise, and other obesity risk factors has taken on an entirely new meaning.

With obesity now officially a disease according to the American Medical Association, pharmaceutical research into controlling symptoms and diseases that arise with obesity, as well as educating kids about the lifestyle choices they can make to stay healthier, is only expected to increase. However, not all U.S. states are created equally when it comes to battling the bulge in kids.

Released last month, F As in Fat, an annual report (links opens a PDF file) compiled by the Robert Johnson Wood Foundation and Trust for America's Health, outlined the staggering proliferation of obesity within today's youth. Not only does the report list some of the mind-numbing tangible and intangible costs associated with childhood obesity, but it also highlights seven U.S. states with childhood obesity rates that are far and away higher than the U.S. average.

The economic cost of childhood obesity
Before we dive into which states earned the dubious honor of having America's most obese kids, let's first turn our attention to the economic costs of childhood obesity and what risk factors exist that might lead children to become overweight or obese.

According to the report, between 1963-1965 and 2007-2008, the rate of obesity among 6- to 11-year-olds has jumped almost fourfold to 20%. The jump in 2- to 5-year-olds isn't much better, with a threefold increase to nearly 20% from 1966-1970 through 2007-2008.

Why does this matter? To begin with, obesity can lead to a number of health problems, including diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol just to name some of its more severe risk factors. The study concludes that 40% of all obese youth exhibit at least two major risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.

But in addition to its effects on the body, obesity has negative effects on the health-care system as a whole. Between 2001 and 2005, childhood obesity-related hospitalization costs practically doubled, from $125.9 million to $237.6 million (using inflation-adjusted 2005 dollars). Furthermore, the average cost to treat an obese child under Medicaid averages 175% higher annually ($6,730) than the cost to treat the average child ($2,446).

What leads to childhood obesity?According to the Mayo Clinic, there are six factors that most commonly cause children to become overweight:

• What they eat.
• Socioeconomic factors.
• Family history.
• Lack of exercise.
• Family oversight.
• Psychological factors. 

The most obvious factor here is that kids aren't eating the right foods. Diets that are high in saturated fats, salt, and cholesterol are causing our nation's youth to grow outward instead of upward. However, not everything can be traced back to an improper diet. Sometimes family income can be an issue. It can be difficult to provide healthful choices for lower-income families where fast-food restaurants may seem like the only option. Family oversight of a child's eating habits can also play a role. Children need to be taught right from wrong, and if their guardians aren't there to show them how to eat properly, it's likely they will choose the wrong foods. Kids also tend to emulate what they see. If adult obesity runs throughout the family, or a child's family lives a fairly sedentary life, they, too, are likely to become obese and fail to get an adequate amount of exercise.

The seven U.S. states with the highest childhood obesity ratesThis leads us to the worst-offenders list: the seven U.S. states with the highest childhood obesity rates for children aged 10 to 17. They are (excluding the District of Columbia):

1. Mississippi (21.7%)
2. South Carolina (21.5%)
3. Louisiana (21.1%)
4. Tennessee (20.5%)
5. Arkansas (20%)
6. Arizona (19.8%)
7. Kentucky (19.7%) 

With the exception of Arizona, there's a definitive bias toward the South. Arizona's high childhood obesity rate could be in direct relation to its harsh weather conditions (i.e., it's a bit difficult to get kids outside to exercise when its 110 degrees!). The remaining six states, though, do exhibit trends that make them clear candidates for high childhood obesity. The culture in many of these states revolves around high-fat-content foods. In addition, many of these states rank at the bottom of the median household income ladder. Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee, in fact, are first, second, and third lowest in median household income, which severely limits food choices for these families.

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