Many teens — especially Hispanic girls — report trying to lose weight

Nearly 40% of U.S. teens ages 16-19 have attempted to lose weight, a new CDC survey finds. Looking at data between 2013 and 2016, researchers also found that nearly half of all teenage girls tried losing weight in the previous year, compared to about a third of boys. This was especially true of Hispanic teens, more of whom reported attempted weight loss compared to other races — 55% of Hispanic girls tried losing weight compared to about 47% of Hispanic boys. Most of the ways the teens said they tried losing weight included healthy changes, including exercising more, while around 16% said they skipped meals. The survey didn't ask the teens their reasons for trying to lose weight, but cited previous work that found that obesity was a main motivator.