Generation O: Addressing childhood overweight before it's too late

Rates of overweight in children have more than tripled in the United States since 1980, putting the nation's children at risk for unprecedented levels of major diseases like diabetes and heart disease earlier in life. The American childhood overweight epidemic is a startling phenomenon. Because of the serious health consequences, there is an urgent need to make practical decisions to address the problem, based on common sense, the best prevailing research, and the advice of experts. This starts,with addressing the contributing factors behind the real culprits-poor nutrition and inadequate physical activity. Over the past decade, experts have emphasized the need to develop overweight prevention and control strategies focused on instilling in children the importance of healthy behaviors that can help reduce their risk for obesity and related health issues throughout their lives. This article reviews policy recommendations and intervention strategies for addressing childhood overweight.