UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

In California, more than one-third (38%) of fifth-, seventh-, and ninth-grade public school students were overweight or obese in 2010. This number represents a 1.1 percent decrease in the statewide prevalence of overweight and obesity from 2005, suggesting that the 30-year trend of increasing childhood obesity rates may be leveling off. However, overweight and obesity continue to be of major concern in the state, with more than half of California counties experiencing increases in rates of overweight and obesity among youth between 2005 and 2010. Public policy options that promote healthy eating and physical activity will continue to be critical to reducing overweight and obesity among California’s youth.