The problem of overweight and obesity has become a national public health concern. Conditions associated with physical inactivity and poor nutrition may soon overtake tobacco as the leading of preventable death in the United States (Us. Department of Health & Human Services).Childhood obesity is not merely an issue in the United States-it is an epidemic. The number of overweight and obese children in America has increased at an alarming rate over the past years, and there is no chance of it slowing down unless action is taken. There have been many theories as to why this is happening, however, the main concern is how to prevent it from happening. In order to reduce the number of childhood obesity cases in this country the necessary steps to be taken are to start educating the parents and their children about the dangers of obesity and to prevent it, provide children with more physical activity, and gain more serious support from the school system. Parents should be aware of the fact that there is a significant difference between the terms overweight and obese. Overweight means that the individual weighs more than normal. Obese means that the individual is extremely overweight. Nearly 1 in 3 parents whose children were referred to an obesity clinic did not perceive their child’s weight as a health problem ( Huffington post). It might be hard for parents to be objective about theirs child’s weight and health unless someone else, such as a pediatrician or school nurse points out that there may be a problem. Researchers found that 31 percent of parents of obese or overweight children considered their child’s health to be excellent or very good, and 28 percent of parents did not view their child’s weight as a health concern (Huffingtonpost). Parents need to realize obesity can harm nearly every