CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – A new state report shows childhood obesity rates increased in New Mexico in 2025, raising renewed concerns about children’s health, food access and opportunities for safe physical activity in rural communities like Cibola County.
The New Mexico Department of Health reported that obesity among kindergarten students rose from 17.3% to 18.6% in 2025, while obesity among thirdgrade students increased from 24.1% to 26.7%.
The report was based on body mass index measurements collected from 4,579 students at 49 schools across 15 counties during the fall of 2025.
State health officials said the findings point to the need for continued investment in healthy eating and physical activity, especially during the early elementary years.
“Obesity is a complex, serious public health concern with multiple contributing factors, including poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of infrastructure for safe physical activity,” NMDOH Cabinet Secretary Gina DeBlassie said in a statement.
The report found obesity increased significantly between kindergarten and third grade, suggesting those years may be a critical period for intervention. It also found boys had higher obesity rates than girls, and that American Indian students had the highest obesity prevalence among the racial and ethnic groups included in the report.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 25.9% of people in Cibola County live in poverty, 10.6% of residents under age 65 are without health insurance, and 22.4% of the population is under 18.
At the same time, the state does not have a countyby- county breakdown available for this report.
In response to a question from the Cibola Citizen, NMDOH Communications Director Robert Nott said the department does not have county-level data “as it was done via school district, and only if the school district chose to participate.”
That means the new report cannot be used to say whether childhood obesity specifically rose or fell in Cibola County.
Still, the statewide findings may be relevant here, particularly in a rural county where transportation, food access and safe recreation space can all affect family health.
The department said its Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program and Healthy Kids Healthy Communities initiative are working with schools and communities across New Mexico to expand access to healthy food and safe exercise opportunities. Those efforts include school and community gardens, farmers’ markets, walking and biking routes, and schoolbased wellness strategies.
The report also notes that reduced participation from the metro area remains a limitation, meaning the 2025 findings should be interpreted as statewide surveillance data rather than a perfect snapshot of every community in New Mexico.