The Obesity Epidemic — Understanding the Disease and the Treatment

The prevalence of severe obesity in the United States has increased dramatically, not only among adults but also among children. The increase in childhood severe obesity, defined as 120% of the age-specific 95th percentile of body-mass index (BMI), has been alarming; the prevalence has risen from 4% during 1999–2004 to 6% during 2011–2012. 1 , 2 Although the use of healthy lifestyle approaches to treat younger children with obesity can successfully reduce BMI, the implementation of these approaches among adolescents and adults is much less effective. 3 Unfortunately, approximately 90% of children with severe obesity will become obese adults with a BMI (the . . .