Introduction

What's Childhood Obesity?

                            Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Childhood obesity is a medical condition that affects children and teenagers. Everyone has a body shape that is just right for them but sometimes we can store excessive body fat. If a child or adult stores too much fat they can be classified as obese. A sign of childhood obesity is a weight well above the average for a child's height and age. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height.

                  A child is considered to be obese when he or she has a body mass index in the 95^th percentile. This means that the child weighs more than 95 percent of other children of the same age and sex. Obesity puts children at a higher risk for developing certain medical problems later in life. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start children on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression. Not all children carrying extra pounds are overweight or obese. Some children have larger than average body frames. And children normally carry different amounts of body fat at the various stages of development.