What Can We Do to Control Childhood Obesity?

• Author: William H. Dietz,Thomas N. Robinson
• Published date: 01 January 2008
• Date: 01 January 2008
• DOI: 10.1177/0002716207308898
• Subject Matter: Articles

Keywords: children; obesity; interventions; environ-
ment; social movement
This issue of The Annals focuses on child-
hood obesity. Obesity now affects 18 per-
cent of U.S. children and adolescents (Ogden
et al. 2006). Among children and adolescents,
as for adults, African American and Mexican
What Can We American populations are disproportionately
affected. Although only 25 percent of adult
Do to Control obesity begins in childhood, childhood-onset
obesity that persists into adulthood is associ-
Childhood
ated with more severe adult obesity than obe-
sity that begins in adulthood (Freedman et al.
Obesity?
2001). Estimates from the Bogalusa Heart
Study indicate that 50 percent of adults with a
body mass index (BMI) greater than 40
(approximately one hundred pounds over-
weight) became obese before the age of eight
By
(D. S. Freedman, unpublished data). Further-
WILLIAM H. DIETZ
more, the risk factors for adult disease are
and
already present in childhood. For example, 60
THOMAS N. ROBINSON
percent of five- to ten-year-old children have at
least one additional risk factor for cardiovascu-
lar disease, and 25 percent have two or more
(Freedman et al. 1999). Because the diseases
associated with obesity account for 25 percent
of the increases in medical costs that have
occurred since 1989 (Thorpe et al. 2004), the
rapidly increasing prevalence of childhood obe-
sity and its disproportionate impact on severe
obesity in adulthood emphasize the need to
develop appropriate preventive and therapeu-
tic methods for children and adolescents.
The articles in this volume address the
impact of a variety of environments on child-
hood obesity. Almost no environment exists
that does not promote increased food intake or
NOTE: The findings and conclusions in this report are
those of the authors and do not necessarily represent
the views of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
DOI: 10.1177/0002716207308898
222
ANNALS, AAPSS, 615, January 2008

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