Prevalence of Extremely Severe Obesity Increasing in Children

TUESDAY, July 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — From 2008 to 2023, there was an increase in the prevalence of extremely severe obesity in children, especially among older adolescents and non-Hispanic Black children, according to a study published online July 16 in JAMA Network Open.

Eliane Münte, from the University of California, San Diego, in La Jolla, and colleagues examined trends in pediatric obesity over time and assessed the association between degree of obesity and comorbidities in a cross-sectional study using data from pediatric participants aged 2 to 18 years from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 through 2023.

A total of 25,847 participants were included in the cohort (median age, 10.0 years). The researchers found that the prevalence of pediatric obesity increased from 2008 to 2023, with the highest relative increase seen for extremely severe obesity, from 0.32 to 1.13 percent, respectively (253.1 percent increase). Extremely severe obesity was particularly prevalent among adolescents aged 16 to 18 years and non-Hispanic Black participants (1.99 and 2.04 percent, respectively). Extremely severe obesity was associated with higher odds of metabolic complications compared with milder forms of obesity, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, prediabetes or diabetes, severe insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome (odds ratios, 6.74, 4.94, 8.05, and 1.99, respectively).

“The increasing prevalence of extremely severe pediatric obesity and its associated health consequences underscore the need for immediate public health interventions,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to Nterica Bio.

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