health
February 23, 2026
One in Five US Children Now Obese
One in five American children are now obese, according to a new study
TL;DR
- Approximately 20% of American children aged 2-19 are now classified as obese, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.
- About 27% of 2-5-year-olds and nearly 40% of teenagers and young adults were overweight or obese.
- The Make America Healthy Again Commission's report links chronic diseases like obesity to ultra-processed food consumption, toxic chemicals, sedentary lifestyles, and overprescription of medications.
- The commission aims to reverse the childhood chronic disease crisis through research and pro-growth policies.
- Over four out of 10 US children have at least one chronic health condition.
- About 75 percent of American youth are not eligible for military service, mainly due to obesity and poor fitness.
- Recommendations include nutritional trials, monitoring vaccine and medication safety, investigating food additive safety, using AI for chronic disease pattern analysis, and increasing investment in non-animal testing models.
- President Trump established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, chaired by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to study the childhood chronic disease crisis and its causes.
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