New Mexico reports childhood obesity improvements
The New Mexico Health Department released its most recent report on childhood obesity on April 2, 2025
The New Mexico health department on Wednesday said obesity rates for third graders decreased for the fourth consecutive year.
The report from NMDOH's Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program uses data from 40 schools across 21 counties, and assessed close to 2,950 students, according to a news release, which also noted that participation in the data collection is voluntary.
a decline in the past year in obesity rates for kindergarten students from 18.2% to 17.3%
a decline in obesity rates for third graders in the same time period from 27.5% to 24.1%
Boys' obesity rates were 6.5% higher than girls.
Ongoing highest obesity prevalence among American Indian students at 27.6% of students
'We collect and analyze obesity data so we can invest our resources in areas that lack infrastructure for safe physical activity and opportunities to buy affordable healthy food,' Health Secretary Gina DeBlassie said in a statement. 'Obesity in children highlights inequities in our community infrastructure and access to resources.'
According to the report, department's childhood obesity surveillance program — established in 2010 — uses 'body mass index (BMI) percentile and a standardized measurement protocol to monitor childhood obesity over time, identify at-risk groups, guide state and local prevention efforts, and inform appropriate resource allocation.'
Despite the improvements, the report notes that obesity remains a significant problem in New Mexico, particularly for children, with obesity increasing significantly between kindergarten and third grade.
'Childhood obesity is a complex issue that is influenced by weight bias, socioeconomic status, food insecurity and community infrastructure,' the report said, noting that in 2023, close to one-in-four (24.7%) school-aged children in New Mexico lived in poverty, compared to nearly one-in-six (15.7%) nationally in 2023. That makes 'New Mexican children more at risk for obesity than children in other states,' the report said, and children with obesity are more likely to develop: high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and depression.
The health department program says part of its strategy to combat childhood obesity includes programs in seven counties and one Tribal community to expand activities such as farm-to-school food programs, exercise activities and nutrition programs.
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