The Chicago Tribune published a July 1, 2009 story on childhood obesity that used data from the National Survey of Children's Health.  The study showed that one in five children in Illinois (20.7 percent) is obese and another 14.2 percent are overweight.  This makes Illinois the fourth most obese state for kids in the nation.

NORC conducts the National Survey of Children's Health for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The study is coordinated through the  National Center for Health Statistics.