The fact is, childhood obesity is an enormous epidemic that effects individuals not only in the United States, but all over the developed world. It has risen to become the most common chronic childhood disease, with over one third of all American children effected by it.

Not only is obesity an aesthetic affliction that children have to deal with on a social scale. It is also a major health problem that can lead to serious disorders and diseases in both childhood and adulthood, if it carries over. For this reason, if your child is suffering from overweight or obesity, then it is necessary to take action today before it is too late. First, we should take a look at how obesity effects a child. When a child is born, of course, he or she will have a certain amount of fat - baby fat. This is normal and useful. Babies rely on this fat as a nutritional reserve as they begin adjusting to life in the world outside of their mother's womb. As the baby grows older and in to his or her first years in life, the fat begins to go away.

By the time a child reaches the age of five, he or she should have the lowest fat and the lowest BMI. (In determining obesity, we use the BMI - Body Mass Index - a chart that uses a ratio of weight to height, dividing the person's weight in kilograms by the square of their body's height in meters. For children between the ages of 2 and 20, the BMI is calculated on a special chart based on their age and sex.) If the child is gaining extraordinary amounts of weight between the ages of two and five, then there is cause to worry. After the age of five, if the child is overweight and/or gaining weight, this is definitely not a cause of baby fat - this is something more dangerous and unhealthy.

If your child is overweight or obese, then action should be taken immediately to correct the problem. The earlier in life this issue is addressed, the less your child will have to suffer later. Once you begin making changes in the child's lifestyle patterns, including eating and exercise, the easier the child will find it to integrate these healthy patterns in to his or her daily routine and uphold them.

So what causes childhood obesity? The main causes can be traced back to changes in our day to day lives that have occurred in the course of the last two decades. Throughout the United States, new dietary practices have emerged that have contributed to the widespread problem of obesity.

For one thing, in our "constantly on the go" style of living, we tend to eat outside of the home a lot more. When we do this, we are more likely to eat a lot more food than we would otherwise. Portion sizes have increased, and we consume more and more fast food and sugary drinks. Changing these unhealthy dietary patterns - or avoiding them altogether - can help your child lose weight.