The Children’s International Obesity Foundation is dedicated to predicting, preventing, treating, and ultimately eliminating childhood overweight and obesity. This increasingly costly and painful health epidemic is affecting the world’s population of babies, youngsters, adolescents and young adults. We believe our goal is within reach — but they need your support.

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Childhood obesity affects over ONE THIRD of all children in the United States.

The epidemic is equally serious in other countries. Approximately 22 million children worldwide under the age of five are obese. And more than three times that number are dangerously overweight.

Obesity affects everyone. The percentage of the world's children, babies through teenagers, who are significantly overweight or actually obese is growing steadily, with no sign of abatement, despite the efforts of well-intended citizens and celebrities who are touting the standard generic fixes of "more exercise, better diets!"

The situation is so dire that OUR CURRENT GENERATION OF CHILDREN growing up in the United States might well be the FIRST GENERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY TO HAVE A STATISTICALLY LOWER LIFE EXPECTANCY THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE. Despite significant medical advances, the myriad complications stemming from overweight and obesity are outpacing all of our scientific and humanitarian efforts at improving longevity and the quality of life.

The problem is multinational. The epidemic respects no borders or boundaries. It is not limited to the world's poor. It is not restricted to technologically underdeveloped nations. It is everywhere. And obese mothers have nine times the likelihood of giving birth to seriously unhealthy babies than mothers of average weight.

Some of the most recent statistics are frightening: Obesity rates are more than 25% among children between four and ten years of age in Chile, Peru and Mexico. In Egypt, more than 25% of four-year-olds are fat. In some countries more than 30% of all children are morbidly obese. And the percentages have been rising at an accelerating rate during these past twenty years.

Awareness:
Childhood obesity affects over ONE THIRD of all children in the United States. The epidemic is equally serious in other countries. Approximately 22 million children worldwide under the age of five are obese. And more than three times that number are dangerously overweight. Obesity affects everyone. 
More of the FACTS

Overweight and obesity are destroying our children's lives! It robs kids of joy. It steals their future. Healthier kids and teenagers grow to be happier, more successful adults. Overweight kids grow up to become overweight parents. Overweight and obesity in children can cause diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, respiratory complications, stroke, depression.  More on the EFFECTS

Controlling weight is not only a matter of proper diet and exercise, although these are vital actions. There are many causes of obesity. For some children, making healthier lifestyle choices is not enough to maintain a healthy weight. Taking diet medications or undergoing bariatric surgery may be part of the answer in special situations, but for many these are extreme or unrealistic options.
More on the CAUSES

While the emotional cost of childhood obesity is tremendous, the cost in dollars is staggering. The direct costs nationally of treating obesity-related diseases are estimated at $61 billion. It is predicted the true cost associated with childhood obesity will equal 10% or more of the Gross Domestic Product of the United States of America by the year 2010.
More on the COSTS