This American Academy of Family Physicians’ article for kids explains what it means to have a weight problem. It also provides guidance on how to maintain a healthy weight and what to do if you are overweight. The site includes a “body mass index” to find out if you might have a weight problem.

The American Academy of Family Physicians provides advice for kids on how to maintain a healthy weight. Kids do not always need to “diet” the way grownups do and some diets may be dangerous for kids.

The Centers for Disease Control of the US Department of Health and Human Services provides nutrition and physical fitness information for youth and pre-teens.

Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control, US Department of Health and Human Services, this interactive web site encourages youth to be physically active. This requires ShockWave for viewing, available as a free download.

This article provides information specifically for teens on the reasons weight management is important and ways to determine what your ideal weight should be.

The Nemours Foundation site offers advice to teens on how to lose weight safely and effectively.

Obesity is responsible for 27 percent of the growth in health care spending from 1987 to 2001, according to an analysis published in Health Affairs.

A daily soda or sugar-sweetened fruit drink can add 15 pounds and double the risk of diabetes, according to research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. While the study participants were adults, health advocates say the results provide evidence that sugar-sweetened juice and soft drinks in children's diets may be a factor in increased rates of diabetes and excess weight among children.

Almost two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese. The federal government’s sixth edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans -- released on January 12, 2005 -- emphasize reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity. The science-based guidelines set health policy objectives for the nation, to boost Americans’ health and decrease risks of certain diseases. Consumer-friendly brochures and Web sites accompany the Guidelines.

As obesity is poised to overtake tobacco as the leading cause of death in the United States, the alarming rise in obesity rates constitute a public health emergency of the highest order. Instead of viewing obesity as an individual or cosmetic problem, the Trust for America's Health argues there is much public policy can do - from promoting communities with built-in opportunities for active living and improving school food environments to ensuring that low-income communities have low-cost, high-quality food purchase options. This report is designed to set a baseline assessment of national and state policies and programs, as a first step in developing an aggressive, coordinated national strategy to address obesity.