Obesity - Adolescent Prevalence
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Obesity Among Adolescents by County, Grades 9-12, New Mexico, 2019
Why Is This Important?
Overweight and obese youth are more likely to grow up to be overweight or obese as adults. In addition, they are at increased risk of exhibiting chronic disease risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol as youth and into adulthood. Overweight and obese youth also experience discrimination from their peers.
Definition
The percentage of YRRS respondents whose self-reported height and weight corresponding to a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or greater than the 95th percentile for their age and sex. "Obese" is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is at or above the 95th percentile based on age and sex, based on historical reference data. BMI is calculated as: [[weight (in pounds) / [height (in inches)]2] x 703].
Data Sources
- U.S. data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data
(https://nccd.cdc.gov/Youthonline) - New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey, New Mexico Department of Health and Public Education Department.
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of high school students reporting heights and weights that results in a BMI that put them in the 95th percentile or higher for their age and sex from the Youth Risk & Resiliency Survey |
| Denominator: | Number of students who reported height, weight, age, and sex. |
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Compared to the proportion of high school students nationally who are obese, the proportion of New Mexico high school students who are obese is not significantly different.
Evidence-based Practices
To help communities in this effort, CDC initiated the Common Community Measures for Obesity Prevention Project (the Measures Project). The objective of the Measures Project was to identify and recommend a set of strategies and associated measurements that communities and local governments can use to plan and monitor environmental and policy-level changes for obesity prevention. This report describes the expert panel process that was used to identify 24 recommended strategies for obesity prevention and a suggested measurement for each strategy that communities can use to assess performance and track progress over time. The 24 strategies are divided into six categories: 1) strategies to promote the availability of affordable healthy food and beverages), 2) strategies to support healthy food and beverage choices, 3) a strategy to encourage breastfeeding, 4) strategies to encourage physical activity or limit sedentary activity among children and youth, 5) strategies to create safe communities that support physical activity, and 6) a strategy to encourage communities to organize for change. For more information, please see Kahn, et al., Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5807a1.htm.
Other Objectives
New Mexico Community Health Status Indicator (CHSI)
Available Services
New Mexico Action for Healthy Kids - http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/state_profile.php?state=NM Alliance for a Healthier Generation - http://www.healthiergeneration.org/default.aspx BMI Calculator: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
More Resources
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/childhood/index.htm