Millions Of American Children Are Classified As “Severely Obese”

September 9, 2013: 12:00 AM EST

The American Heart Association issued a scientific statement declaring that five percent of American children over the age of two, as well as teenagers, fall into a new classification of health risk called “severely obese”. These children – between three and four million – have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems at younger issues., with few treatment options. Severely obese children are defined as those whose body mass index (BMI) is 20 percent higher than the 95th percentile for their gender and age, or the BMI score is 35 or higher. According to ChildStats.gov, there are about 74 million children between the ages of one and 17.

A.. S. Kelly et al., "Severe Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Identification, Associated Health Risks, and Treatment Approaches: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association", Circulation, September 09, 2013, © American Heart Association, Inc.

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Millions Of American Children Are Classified As “Severely Obese”

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