Childhood obesity is a hugely complex challenge that’s often viewed very simplistically and incorrectly—too many calories and too little exercise. That’s only one part of the problem. Fortunately, nutrition and child development experts are becoming more educated about the causes of and possible strategies for decreasing the high obesity rates of children.
The bad news: In the U.S., approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese. Since 1980, obesity among children and adolescents has almost tripled.