Childhood obesity is a cultural problem and a medical problem. With a few questions, the medical side effects of obesity in children do not usually occur for decades; however, the social and emotional aspects of childhood obesity are of immediate consequence. We are currently in the midst of an epidemic of childhood obesity. The prevalence has increased with each national nutritional survey since the early 1980s. At the same time, television, advertising, and marketing campaigns increasingly emphasize thinness and fitness. The obese child is, therefore, victimized on all fronts. Social changes have made high-fat fast food more accessible than ever, while more emphasis is placed on thinness.