Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects it is being recognized as a serious public health concern.The term overweight rather than obese is often used in children as it is less stigmatizing.
Between 5-25 percent of children and teenagers in the United States are obese.
