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Childhood Obesity Hits Record Highs, Experts Warn

2/26/2026

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Story summary
  • Childhood and teen obesity rates have reached record highs, with over 21% affected, according to the CDC.
  • This rate is up from 5.2% in the 1970s.
  • Among adults, obesity rates have plateaued at 40.3% with a slight decrease from previous years.
  • Dr. John Brownstein attributes these trends to public health policies and GLP-1 medications.
  • Dr. Justin Ryder cautions that the recent decline may not indicate a long-term trend.