2011 Georgia Data Summary: OBESITY IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Obese adolescents are more likely to become obese adults. Obesity among adolescents is a significant public health problem in Georgia 148,000 (15%) high school students are obese 2011 Overweight and Obesity among GA High School Students 157,000 (16%) high school students are overweight 20 Male high school students (18%) are more likely to 18 be obese than females (12%) 16 14 Percent% African American students are more likely to be 12 obese than any other race group 10 8 Georgia exceeds the Healthy People 2010 national goal for children and youth in every age, sex, race 6 and ethnic group 4 2 The Healthy People 2020 national goal for obesity 0 among children and youth (ages 2-18) is 14.6% Overweight Obese 15 18 17 12 Female Male Gender 15 13 18 17 White Black Race Poor diet and physical inactivity are among reasons for the rise in adolescent obesity Only 4 in 9 (42%) high school students in Georgia meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirements for recommended physical activity More than 1 in 3 (37%) of Georgia's high school students watch TV for 3 or more hours on a school day More than 1 in 4 (28%) of Georgia's high school students played computer/video games, or used a computer for non-educational purposes for 3 or more hours per school day Only 1 in 5 (21%) high school students in Georgia consume 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily Environments and policies that will influence health behavior in adolescents Schools can encourage healthy lifestyles in students by adopting policies, environmental features, and providing programs to support healthy diets and regular physical activity Communities can promote healthy lifestyles in children by creating safe and supportive environments for healthy eating and physical activity Obese adolescents are at increased risk for other medical conditions Obese adolescents are at increased risk for: -Hypertension -Diabetes -Sleep apnea -Asthma Definition of obesity: Body Mass Index-for-age 95th Definition of overweight: Body Mass Index-for-age = 85<95th percentile Definition of recommended physical activity: At least 60 minutes of physical activity on 5 or more days per week. Data Sources: 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS), commonly known as the Georgia Student Health survey