Approximately one of every four children ages 2 to 5 years in the United States has a high (>85th percentile) body mass index and about one in 10 is obese (>95th percentile). North Carolina ranks 5th worst in the US for childhood obesity.
An estimated 14.5 percent of American households were food insecure at least some time during the year in 2012, according to the USDA. In North Carolina, 25% of children live in households that were food insecure at some point during the year 2012.
People who live in a household affected by food insecurity do not always know where they will find their next meal. By contrast, food security for a household means access by all members at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.