Summary

14% of high school students surveyed in a national survey were overweight, according to the 2003 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey (YRBS). This changed slightly to 12.7% in the 2005 YRBS for Ohio. In 2003, another 13% of high school students surveyed were at risk for becoming overweight.

To see the actual results from the YRBS, click to link below.

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/yrbss/QuestYearTable.asp?cat=5&quest=507&loc=OH&year=Trend

Definitions

The YRBS study used body mass index to as measure for being overweight.

Body mass index uses both the height and weight to classify a person as underweight, at weight, overweight, and obese.

In the results above, overweight as those in the top 5% percent, or 95th percentile, for body mass index by gender and age (that is, the scales were adjusted for gender and age.)

"At risk for being overweight" means that the students had a body mass index in between the 85th and 94th percentile, where the body mass index was adjusted for gender and age.