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Leading Health Indicator 11 (continued) Overweight and Perceptions of Being Overweight Among High School Youth Differ The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) reports that high school rates of overweight were highest for high school males. Florida females were more likely to think they were overweight and to attempt weight loss than males. More children thought they were overweight than were actually overweight. U.S. and Florida had similar percentages of children by race and gender that reported being overweight in 1999 and 2001. Figure 58: Florida and U.S. High School Students Who Report Being Overweight, Think They Are Overweight and are Trying to Lose Weight, 1999 and 2001  Source: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. (YRBSS) 1999, 2000 (1999 Table 34 and 2001 (Tables 34). MMWR Surveillance Summaries June 9, 2000 / 49 (SS05); 1-96; MMWR Surveillance Summaries June 28, 2002 / 51(SS04); 1-64. – http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr Unhealthy Methods for Controlling Weight Among High School Youth Being overweight is a great concern for many youth. While increasing numbers of high school students used healthy means to control or reduce weight such as eating fewer calories and/or exercise, an alarming percent of youth continue to take diet pills or vomit/take diarrhea medication to lose or control weight. And, because the actual percent that were overweight was much lower than those who perceived of themselves as overweight, it is difficult to know whether their dieting methods were healthy.
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