Society is immersed in a myriad of problems, one of which is juvenile obesity. Juvenile obesity affects many industrialized countries and increases every year. According to Patricia Anderson and Kristin Butcher, authors of Childhood Obesity: Trends and Potential Causes, “From 1999 to 2002, nearly 15 percent of U.S. children were considered obese” (Anderson). Knowing that more and more children are affected by this trend is unnerving, not only in the present, but also for the future. Causing health problems such as diabetes and heart complications, obesity control is always relevant and needs to be addressed in a timely manner. But before a call to action enters the fray, the causes of childhood obesity need to be determined. If identified correctly, it is possible to identify the causes of childhood obesity and implement an effective plan to eliminate them. Although childhood obesity is a unique problem, its wide range explains many possible causes of the problem. One cause that has been theoretically associated with childhood obesity is genetics. It goes without saying that the chemical composition of the body has some of the most important effects on a person's appearance, both inside and out. But the real question is, “Do genetics play a role in obesity?” With general ignorance on the subject, one could easily argue in support of this idea. If genetics control a person's appearance, why is it not the main cause of obesity? The answer to this question is actually quite simple. Obesity is an excessive accumulation of fat in the body that can lead to excess health problems. With this in mind, you need to consume more calories than you expend through exercise and physical effort so that... middle of paper... ultimately, these potential causes of childhood obesity are working together in negatively and affecting society in the same way. Works Cited Anderson, Patricia M., and Kristen F. Butcher. “Childhood Obesity: Trends and Potential Causes.” Spring 2006. Web. May 09, 2012. Brown, Stephen, David Birch, James Teufel, and Viajava Kancherla. “Overweight Children: Perspectives of Children Aged 9–13.” Research articles. Network. 06 May 2012.Moran, Rebecca. "Evaluation and treatment of childhood obesity". American family doctor. AAFP, February 15, 1999. Web. May 11, 2012. Dehghan, Mahshid. "Childhood obesity, prevalence and prevention". Nutrition diary. September 2, 2005. Web. May 11, 2012. Whitehead, Tanya D. “Fighting the Obesogenic Environment: Helping Children Get Healthy.” Online journal of health and allied sciences. October 2007. Web. 08 May 2012.