Childhood obesity is a major public health problem and poses important challenges for both health care and school-centered environments. Three modalities currently available for the treatment of overweight in children and adolescents include behavioral approaches, pharmacologic approaches, and surgical approaches. Therefore, national weight loss efforts for children have focused on the establishment of healthy habits in youth that may help prevent many chronic health problems later in life. The subsequent problems are attributable to unhealthy eating, sedentary lifestyle, and overweight. However, food and eating environments seem to contribute to the increasing epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases, beyond the individual factors such as knowledge, skills, and motivation.

For many individuals, there is 'tracking' of metabolic and lifestyle factors from early age to adulthood, with some individuals genetically predisposed. However, for the youth, obesity and dyslipidemia are generators of hypertension, glucose intolerance and complications of atherosclerosis in adulthood. Indeed, childhood obesity seems to substantially increase the risk morbidity regardless of obesity persistence into adulthood. With 97 percent of U.S. children attending school daily, the school environment provides a rich arena for the delivery of standardized health messages. However, the role of parents in the development of healthy eating and physical activity patterns is critical from the earliest stages of life and warrants further attention. Aside from excess caloric intake and inactivity, genetics and environment predispose a child to be obese. Accordingly, any program or treatment plan must include the guardians, who may also be overweight or obese. here is a need of ongoing input of experts and leaders from all sectors and fields to promote healthy lifestyles at schools and within the home, while respecting each child's need for safety, security, and respect.

Community-based interventions are built on theory, receive input from community members and may produce potent, sustainable change. The community involvement can mobilize inherent community assets while being able to pinpoint specific needs. Environmental and policy interventions may be among the most effective strategies for creating population-wide improvements in eating. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) includes a Division of Adolescent and School Health which funds collaborations between state education and health agencies to promote coordination of school health programs.

Also, the CDC's Prevention Research Centers (PRCs) engage public health organizations, academic institutions, and communities in partnerships to develop, test, and disseminate programs to improve health outcomes. The American Dietetic Association (ADA), takes the position that pediatric overweight intervention requires a combination of family-based and school-based multi-component programs that include the promotion of physical activity, parent training/modeling, behavioral counseling, and nutrition education.

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