The study surveyed 18,000 students from 203 schools and found that one in three boys and one in four girls are overweight. This has worsened over time, particularly with the increase in the number of obese children. For example, in 2016, 10% of first graders were obese and 16% were overweight, while by 2022, the number of first graders with obesity rose to 12%. Similarly, the proportion of obese children among fourth graders increased from 12% in 2019 to 14% in 2022, with a total of 34% of all fourth graders being overweight. The 2022 COSI study, which surveyed seventh-graders for the first time, also found alarming rates of obese (11%) and overweight (29%) children [2].
Regardless of age, excess weight is more common among boys, especially obesity, with 15% of boys compared to 9% of girls. The data also show strong disparities: for example, 30%–39% of children in rural areas have excess weight, compared with 26%–33% in urban areas, and children from the families experiencing financial difficulties have higher rates of overweight and obesity than those from families with higher incomes: 33% of overweight and 13% of obesity and 25% overweight and 8% of obesity, respectively [2].