in March 2004, u.s. surgeon General Richard Carmona called attention to a health problem in the united states that, until recently, has been overlooked: childhood obesity. Carmona said that the “astounding” 15% child obesity rate constitutes an “epidemic.” since the early 1980s, that rate has “doubled in children and tripled in adolescents.” now more than 9 million children are classified as obese.1 While the traditional response to a medical epidemic is to hunt for a vaccine or a cure-all pill, childhood obesity is more elusive. the lack of success of recent initiatives suggests that medication might not be the answer for the escalating problem. this literature review considers whether the use of medication is a promising approach for solving the childhood obesity problem by responding to the following questions: