IntroductionA great indicator of the nation's health is the national epidemic of childhood and adolescent obesity, currently a target goal of Healthy People 2010 (DHHS). The Surgeon General reports that there are 12.5 million children between infancy and school age who are obese, with a prevalence of 17%, while children at risk for obesity have a prevalence of 16% (General). One third of the child population is obese or at risk of obesity. This condition crosses all age groups, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds and is determined by the measurement of a high body mass index (BMI), based on weight and height in children. Obesity is a major factor known to have an effect on morbidity and mortality rates. This condition is one of the main reasons for the increase in hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression; chronic diseases and diseases commonly associated with adults. Childhood and adolescent obesity continues to pose a health risk in the United States, especially when it occurs early in life. If childhood obesity is not reduced, the life expectancy of this generation of children could be shorter than that of their parents and grandparents. Currently the nation has several initiatives to combat the childhood obesity epidemic, for example The First Lady, Michelle Obama's "Let's move" campaign, FDA calorie counting, along with local municipalities modifying school lunch programs, just to name a few. However, when severely obese children are unsuccessful with nonsurgical approaches, some turn to bariatric surgery. Background Bariatric surgery is the reduction in size or restriction of the stomach in order to reduce the amount of food a person consumes. Bariatr...... middle of paper ...... Severe symptoms in adolescents with extreme obesity presenting for bariatric surgery. Pediatrics, 1155-1161.NCHS. (2003-2004). National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from www.cdc./nchs/data/hestat/overweight/overweight_child_under02.htm.Ogden, CL, Carroll, MD, Curtin, l. R., & al., e. (2010). Prevalence of high body mass index in U.S. children and adolescents, 2007–2008. JAMA, 242-249. Organization, W. H. (2000). “Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic”, Report of a WHO consultation. Geneva: World Health Organization. Services, UD (2000). Healthy People 2010. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Use Internet cites: www.Pediatrics.orgwww.obesityjournal.orgwww.nih.govwww.fda.govwww.obesity.orgwww.cdc.govwww.jama.comwww.ama.orgwww. healthypeople.gov www.nich.org