Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States. One in five children in the United States is obese. In fact, “Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 are obese (“Obesity Rate Among,” 2011). Rates of childhood obesity have steadily increased since 1980, and many children now suffer from what were once considered adult diseases, such as high cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis and diabetes. Several internal and external factors contribute to childhood obesity; However, many people believe that parents are primarily responsible for childhood and adolescent obesity. On the other hand, medical professionals and sociologists have studied the steady decline in physical activity and external societal influences that contribute to childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has several internal components. It is commonly accepted that obesity is caused by a gene produced during the perinatal phase of human development that increases the risk of weight gain in children. The perinatal phase of development occurs “from the twentieth week of gestation to the twenty-eighth day of the newborn’s life” (“Perinatal”). In fact, “predisposition to obesity appears to be caused by a complex interaction between at least 250 obesity-associated genes and, perhaps, perinatal factors” (Ebbeling, Pawlak, & Ludwig, 2002). In addition to genetic factors for obesity, bottle-fed children have a greater tendency to be overweight or obese than their breast-fed counterparts. "The explanation for this finding could be linked to permanent physiological changes caused by an intrinsic factor specific to breast milk or to psychological factors, such as the locus of control over the feeding area...... middle of the paper ....... x/pdfReilly, J.J. (2007). Childhood obesity: an overview. Children and Society, 21(5), 390-396. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2007.00092.x/pdfObesity rates among all children in the United States. (April 21, 2011). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.htmlEbbeling, CB, Pawlak, DB, & Ludwig, DS (2002). Childhood obesity: public health crisis, common sense remedy. The Lancet, 360, 473-482. Retrieved from http://www.commercialalert.org/childhoodobesity.pdfPerinatal. (nd). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perinatalSealy, PhDMPH, YM and Farmer PhD, GL (2011). Parents' stage of change in diet and physical activity: influence on childhood obesity. Social Work in Health Care, 50(4), 274-291. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00981389.2010.529384