One in 7 American children develops obesity before entering kindergarten, according to an analysis of the latest national data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 18.5 percent of children ages 2 to 19 in 2015-2016 were found to be obese—similar to the 17.3 percent in the previous two-year cycle—but there was a troubling jump among the youngest age group. Nearly 14 percent of kids in the 2- to 5-year-old group were obese, up from 9.3 percent in 2013-14.

Lead researcher Asheley Skinner, PhD, with Duke University, pointed out that is the highest obesity rate observed in that age group since the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey became a continuous program in 1999. The previous peak was 13.4 percent in 2003-04.

"Obesity in the youngest group is a concern," Skinner told NPR. "The earlier you start seeing this, the harder it is to address it for these kids."

Most children who develop obesity, including at young ages, tend to remain heavy throughout childhood and into adulthood. Hispanic and black children, especially, were found to be more at risk for obesity, consistent with previous reports.

"We have known about this epidemic of childhood obesity—and have been pouring research dollars and public health dollars into this problem—for at least 20 years," study coauthor Sarah Armstrong, MD, with Duke’s department of pediatrics, told NPR. "And despite that, we don't seem to be making a big dent in the situation. We need to double down our efforts and find out what's going to work or the health of our future generation is really in jeopardy."

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