Parents often are concerned that obesity is the result of some type of endocrine disease, such as hypothyroidism, but such disorders are rarely the cause. Adolescents with weight gain caused by endocrine disorders are usually of small stature and have other signs of the underlying condition. And the misconception that obesity is a problem afflicting only affluent countries may be holding back further research. It's obvious that obesity is so much more than a single issue, and I think this study underlines that point.

Childhood obesity is down to nature not nurture, reports The Times and other news sources. Genes account for ?more than three quarters of the difference between children?s waistlines, with lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise playing a much smaller role?, the newspaper adds. Obesity is considered a chronic (long-term) disease, like high blood pressure or diabetes . It has many serious long-term consequences for your health, and it is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States (tobacco is the first). Obesity is seen as an individual problem, but in the case of children, they have very little control over their environment. Often, the parents have grown up with the same negative environmental factors (fast food availability, little incentive for exercise) and don?t know how or why to change what has become a way of life.