Background
Childhood obesity is a global problem. The World Health
Organization (WHO) estimates that over 40 million children
under 5 years of age are overweight or obese. While once
considered a public health issue primarily for high-income
countries, childhood obesity rates are rising quickly in
middle- and low-income countries, particularly in urban
areas (World Health Organization, 2012). The significance
of this change in child health status throughout the world is
the long term health consequences of obesity, including
cardiovascular morbidities and early development of type
2 diabetes.