Pediatric obesity epidemic: problem and solutions.

Over the past few decades, pediatric obesity has become a national epidemic. Up to one third of American children and adolescents currently meet criteria as overweight or obese, placing them at risk for obesity into adulthood. Multiple acute and chronic medical conditions are increasing in prevalence among youth due to their overweight status. In addition, obesity can result in serious problems related to psychosocial functioning. Efforts at prevention and treatment must address the multifactorial causes and consequences of pediatric obesity. Though many programs have been proposed, more work is needed in this area to successfully combat the problem of pediatric obesity.