Research Reports

The U.S. Department of Health considers about one-third of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 to be overweight or obese. In particular, the Pennsylvania Department of Health defines childhood obesity for persons aged 2-19 years as a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile. The BMI-for-age is a useful measure because it allows one to compare obesity rates of similar cohorts across different states, or across different counties in a particular state. Previous research conducted by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania (2005) indicated that rural areas have higher obesity rates. From an economic standpoint, there are private and social costs associated with obesity. Crucial private costs of obesity are lower productivity, income inequality, and higher healthcare costs. Research in nutrition economics and health economics found that childhood obesity has a negative impact on academic performance and leads to lower self-esteem, and exposes students to bullying and hidden bias among peers and teachers.