The human body requires food intake to function properly. The foods we decide to eat have an effect on our ability to use our mind, our strength and even our susceptibility to getting sick or injured. Eating too much of the wrong foods, with little or no exercise can cause the silent but deadly epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents. In the past, obesity was only known as a condition that only affected adults. In this generation young people are becoming more prone to obesity. In 1995 an average of 18 million children worldwide were classified as overweight (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). An article on childhood obesity interventions states that 17% (12.5 million) of children in the United States are considered obese (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). This scandalous number of overweight children in the world nearly tripled in 2010, where 43 million children under 5 are considered overweight (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). Another shocking statistic is that over 60% of children classified as overweight before reaching puberty will be overweight once they become adults (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). This brings us to the most suffocating fact that every year around the world, 2.8 million people die due to being overweight or obese (Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne 731). These shocking statistics show how dangerous obesity really is and should inspire everyone to fight this epidemic. Before taking any type of action to prevent obesity it is necessary to ask the question: what characterizes an individual as overweight and/or obese? The World Health Organization (WHO 2013) defines overweight and obesity as “abnormal… at the heart of the document……RTORG/Conditions/Diabetes/AboutDiabetes/About-Diabetes_UCM_002032_Article.jsp>.Wiley-Blackwell. “Obesity and depression may be linked.” ScienceDaily, June 6, 2008. Web. December 2, 2013. Haynes, Diane, and Catherine E. Ross. “Concern with appearance, health beliefs, and eating habits.” Health and Social Behavior 28.2 (1987): 120-30. Network. 04 December 2013. French, S.A., M. Story, D. Neumark-Sztainer, JA Fulkerson, and P. Hannan. “Fast Food Restaurant Use Among Adolescents: Associations with Nutrient Intake, Food Choices, and Behavioral and Psychosocial Variables.” Central Europe Pubmed 25.12 (2001): 1823-833. Network. December 4, 2013. .Tawia, Susan. "Childhood obesity and breastfeeding." Breastfeeding Review 21.2 (2013): 42-48. CINAHL Plus with full text. Web 7 November. 2013.