Prevalence of overweight, infants and children less than 2 years of age: United States, 2003-2004
Results from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured recumbent lengths and weights, indicate that an estimated 9.5% percent of infants and children less than 2 years of age were overweight. Table 1 shows the prevalence of overweight from birth through 23 months and from 6 through 23 months of age for selected years. NHANES 1976-1980 included individuals only as young as 6 months of age while NHANES 1988-1994 included individuals 2 months of age and older. Beginning in 1999-2000, NHANES included individuals from birth. Therefore, trends from 1976-1980 to the present can only be done for the 6-23 month age group. Overweight was defined as weight >= 95th percentile of weight-for-recumbent length on the sex-specific growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
NHANES surveys use a stratified, multistage, probability sample of the civilian non-institutionalized U.S. population. A household interview and a physical examination were conducted for each survey participant. During the physical examination, conducted in mobile examination centers, recumbent length and weight were measured as part of a more comprehensive set of body measurements. These measurements were taken by trained health technicians, using standardized measuring procedures and equipment. Observations for persons missing a valid recumbent length or weight measurement were not included in the data analysis.
Table 1. Prevalence of overweight among infants and children less than 2 years of age, for selected years 1976-80 through 2003-2004
| Age (months) | NHANES 1976-80 |
NHANES 1988-94 |
NHANES 1999-2000 |
NHANES 2001-02 |
NHANES 2003-04 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth-23 mo | 10.4 | 7.9 | 9.5 | ||
| 6-23 mo | 5.7 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 7.8 | 10.1 |
For additional information on overweight in the US see:
- NHANES data on the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Adults-United States, 2003-2004
- Fact Sheet
- Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 295:1549-1555. 2006.
- Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2000. JAMA 288:1723-7. 2002.
- Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 2003-2004
- Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999-2000. JAMA 288:1728-32. 2002.