Children

One in 10 young people were overweight in 2004.

Those who drink two or more sodas daily are more likely to be overweight than those who don’t.

Most schools – 90 percent – have easy access to unhealthy snack foods.

We also know that most young people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables (less than 25% eat fruits and vegetables 5 or more times a day.)

Healthy Youth Survey (External Site) has detailed information about young people in Washington.

Adults

Obesity rates continue to increase every year and have doubled over the past decade.

Washington is not much different than other parts of the country – more than half are either obese or overweight.

15% of adults had no leisure time physical activity or exercise in 2004.

Less than a quarter of all people in Washington ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day in 2003.

We know that poor diet, lack of physical activity, and obesity are leading causes of chronic diseases.

Rates of chronic diseases – such as diabetes and heart disease – continue to increase year after year.

Chronic conditions account for three-fourths of health-related costs. Visit the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (External Site) section for complete data.