Childhood obesity: what can be done to help today's youth?

Childhood obesity is at epidemic proportions in the United States today. This epidemic has created a public health crisis. Although several initiatives are under way to address childhood obesity, including legislative bills before Congress and a call by the National Academy of Sciences for society to band together to stop the rise in the rates of childhood obesity, none of these efforts address what can be done today to help those youth that are considered morbidly obese and who have failed to find solutions with the standard medical treatment plan. This article discusses the use of bariatric surgery as a possible solution, presents a case study to illustrate the impact bariatric surgery can have on youth who are morbidly obese, and defines the pediatric nurse's role in helping to assure that youth are included in the current legislative process.