Childhood Obesity

Over the past three decades, the share of children who are overweight or obese has doubled to nearly 30 percent. This rapidly increasing incidence of obesity among American children poses significant public health hazards, and medical costs as a result of this obesity epidemic are rising. Researchers have identified many possible causes of increasing obesity among children, but they have found few solutions on how to prevent obesity.

Nonetheless, national, state, and local policymakers–along with parents, schools, the medical community, and others–are implementing a variety of policies to help our children have healthier and more productive futures.

The Brookings Institution and Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School are sponsoring a forum in conjunction with the release of the latest Future of Children volume “Childhood Obesity.” Panelists will examine federal, state, and local initiatives–particularly in public schools–designed to address childhood obesity. Panelists will take questions from the audience.

Panel

Moderator: C. Tracy Orleans

Senior Scientist, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation