Nowadays, the world faces many different problems than those we have faced in the past. Some of these things are more crucial than others. The childhood obesity epidemic is a topic of critical importance. The situation becomes quite scary for children who find themselves overweight, out of breath and unable to play with their friends. Older people usually know what got them into this situation and how to deal with it, but children don't know what to do about obesity. Society is poorly informed about the serious consequences of the childhood obesity epidemic. While it may be true that society is unaware of children's weight gain, we see in America that there are many causes of obesity in American children due to the environment. There is no denying that childhood obesity is on the rise in America. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), approximately 18% of children ages 6 to 11 are obese, and nearly 21% of children ages 12 to 19 are obese. More than a third of all American children and adolescents are overweight (cdc.gov, 1). The World Health Organization defines obesity as a BMI (body mass index) greater than 30 in adults. Body mass index can be calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. However, no clear definition of childhood obesity has been established. The lowest BMI number defining obesity in children has not yet been established. In the grand scheme of things, childhood obesity is a rather new problem in the medical community. Obesity goes far beyond simple aesthetic concerns. Obesity is a very complex disease that can cause many serious health risks. Obesity can lead to cardiovascular disease...... middle of article......l Psychiatry Journal21.1 (2012): 11-17. Print.Linnekin, Baylen. “Does fast food make children fat? » October 6, 2012. Reason.com. Electronic. “Obesity and overweight”. Media Center. May 2014. World Health Organization. Electronic. “Overweight children: eating depression. » Raising Fit Kids: WebMD. 2010. WebMD and Sandford. Electronics.Safdar, Khadeeja. “Food prices linked to obesity rates.” August 2, 2013. The Wall Street Journal.Electronic.