Obesity occurs when a person’s weight is far above his ideal body weight. It has become a major problem in many countries, and it is even expected that in the USA, average expectancy will soon begin to drop sharply for the first time in 200 years because of an epidemic of obesity.

Certain genetic factors paired with changing lifestyles and culture has produced kids who are generally not as healthy as people were just a few decades ago. Widespread obesity has been the extreme result of these changes.

Childhood obesity is at an all time high today. Children who have a body weight ten percent higher than what is recommended or have a BMI in the 95th percentile or above are considered to be obese. One out of three children in the United States are considered overweight or obese. Eighty percent of these obese children remain obese adults, leading to severe health problems and possibly an early death (Schifferdecker, 2008). The current obesity epidemic has produced a generation of children that may be the first to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents (Gance-Cleveland, Gilbert, & Kopanos, 2010). This disease not only effects a child’s psychological well being, but also leads to many serious health issues within the body’s systems.

A person is considered obese when they are far above his ideal body weight. In many countries this has become a problem and it is even expected that in the United States, the average life expectancy will drop significantly for the first time in 200 years because of obesity and the epidemic it has become. Lifestyle changes, genetic factors, and culture have produced kids who are generally not as healthy as people were decades ago. The spread of obesity has been the result of these