Weight and Diabetes in Kids In This Article: A study completed
in 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found
that more than 12.5 million (17.1%) of children ages 2-19 in the
United States were overweight. From 1999 to 2004, overweight and
obesity had increased almost 33% in children and teens in the
U.S. Specifically, the prevalence of being overweight increased
from 5% to 13.9% in children ages 2-5, from 6.5% to 18.8% in
children ages 6-11, and from 5% to 17.4% in children ages 12-19.
The increasing rate of overweight and obese children in America
is sending an alarming message about the state of our nation's
health. Overweight children and teens are at risk for health
problems not only during their youth, but also as adults. In
fact, experts believe that more children and teens have been
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over the recent years as a result
of the rapidly growing weight problem. What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death by disease in the
United States. The d