Obesity among children has increased in recent years and has become a serious problem in this nation. Over twelve million children in the United States are obese, and 7% of these children are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Obesity has become a burden on the United States economy and costs America $147 billion every year. 'year. Are parents responsible for obese and overweight children or is society to blame? Obesity has existed for many years but has always been considered an adult problem. Unfortunately, obesity has now been discovered in children and has become one of the deadliest problems facing America. Childhood obesity has tripled over the past three decades, and one in three children in the United States is considered obese. Overweight and obese children are at risk of developing high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory disorders, orthopedic problems, depression and type 2 diabetes. According to Ashford Library studies reveal that “40% of obese children and 70% of obese teenagers will become obese adults.” Obese children are more likely to become obese adults and may suffer from much more serious health problems than those previously mentioned. Obesity found in adulthood increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis and poor general health. According to an online article found on ASPE.hhs.gov paragraphs [12] and [13] “In 2000, the total cost of obesity for children and adults in the United States was estimated at $117 billion ($61 billion in direct medical costs )”. Americans label obesity the terror within, perceived as the cause of over “300,000 deaths every year in America alone.” Excess weight in a child at a young age has been linked to h...... middle of paper ......html.Judy A Rollins. (2004). The Kaiser Family Foundation releases a report on the role of the media in childhood obesity. Pediatric Nursing, 30(2), 165. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from Career and Technical Education. (Document ID: 639959761Richard Kilgarriff. (2005, February 28). Who is really responsible for the problem of childhood obesity? You are ; Richard Kilgarriff, head of Cartoon Network, responds to critics who always point the finger at television:[First Edition]. The Independent, p. 16,17. Retrieved March 30, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand (Document ID: 799851101). Shawn Bell (2010, October 5).: 2156834801).