Almost one-third of our nation's young people are obese or overweight. And that rate of obesity has risen dramatically over the past few years. The obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has more than quadrupled (from 4.2% to 19.6%) during the past four decades. Obesity rates for other age groups are up dramatically as well.

It is costing up to $14 billion per year in health care costs to treat kids with obesity-related health problems. And obese adolescents are more likely to become obese adults. Among 16- and 17-year-olds, 80 percent of obese males and 92 percent of obese females will become obese adults, while only 21 percent of peers who are neither obese nor overweight will become obese adults. Adult obesity is estimated to cost the United States as much as $147 billion per year.

The Institute of Medicine and other expert groups agree that improving public policies and changing community environments are the most effective strategies for preventing childhood obesity. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring communities—and the kids who live in them—are healthy.