It has been just over 10 years since the last time the Pediatric Clinics of North America has had an issue focused on Childhood and Adolescent Obesity. Over this time, the epidemic has worsened and then plateaued. The most recent NHANES data available from 2007/2008 show mixed results: prevalence of obesity has not increased significantly since 1999, except among more severely obese boys ( Fig 1 ). In women over 20 years of age, a group that strongly influences children, the increase in obesity rates has slowed but not yet decreased. Interpretation of these data is subjective to some extent. The optimist perceives that slowing or stabilization is a response to the valiant efforts extended over the past 10 years and is the first step toward reduction. After all, we applaud weight maintenance in patients as a step toward weight loss. The pessimist observes that not a single state met the US Healthy People 2010 goal to lower obesity to 15%. In fact, between 2000 and 2010, 12 states crossed the threshold of having ≥30% obese adults. Clearly much work remains to be done. We hope current levels represent the crest and that future surveys will reveal an ebbing of the high numbers of overweight and obese children.
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