Effective strategies to combat obesity epidemic among children and teenagers needed

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, drawing attention to the epidemic of obesity among children and adolescents in the United States. A multidisciplinary approach to assessment and intervention is crucial for effective weight management and should draw from the latest medical evidence, best practices, and innovative educational and policy initiatives, all of which are presented and debated in the new bimonthly, print and online journal Childhood Obesity, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The inaugural issue is available free online.

This epidemic is growing at an alarming rate, with the numbers of obese children tripling over the past 30 years. Efforts to reverse this trend and to care for children grappling with problems related to obesity and weight control rely on the contribution of a broad range of professionals that can have an impact on diet and nutrition, exercise, weight management, and medical care in children's homes, schools, and communities.

"The warriors in this war must be many," says Mary Ann Liebert, Founder and President of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., including "physicians, educators, community members who interact with children, members of parent-teacher associations, food manufacturers, nutritionists, and other healthcare professionals-many of whom find it difficult to tell parents that their children are overweight and then don't see these patients often enough to monitor the problem."