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Obesity among High School Students

Summary Indicator Report Data View Options

Why Is This Important?

Obesity has more than tripled among children and adolescents since the 1970s.^[https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/index.htm 1]^

Definition

Percent of high school students who were obese (greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for body mass index, by age and sex)

Data Sources

How the Measure is Calculated

Numerator:Number of high school students whose body mass index was greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for Body Mass Index (BMI) for their age and gender
Denominator:Total number of high school students surveyed

How Are We Doing?

Obesity is increasing among high school students of all races/ethnicities. Healthy New Jersey 2020 targets were not met by any group.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The proportion of New Jersey high school students who are obese is consistently lower than that of the nation as a whole.

Available Services

[https://nj.gov/health/nutrition/services-support/]

More Resources

NJDOH Office of Nutrition and Fitness: [http://www.state.nj.us/health/nutrition/] Rutgers Childhood Obesity Study: [http://www.cshp.rutgers.edu/content/childhood-obesity]

Health Program Information

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and New Jersey Student Health Survey (NJSHS) BMI data should be used with caution since individual height and weight are self-reported. People tend to underestimate their weight and overestimate their height, resulting in a lower BMI compared to if the individual was actually weighed and measured.

Footnote References

1. CDC Healthy Schools, [https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/index.htm Obesity], 8/10/22

Indicator Data Last Updated On 10/26/2020, Published on 07/30/2024
Office of Nutrition and Fitness, Division of Community Health, New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton, NJ 08625 (https://www.nj.gov/health/nutrition/)