[Obesity in children and adolescents: current recommendations for prevention and treatment].

Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents represent significant health disorders, which until recently had received little attention. Germany's lifestyle has changed considerably since the 1980s. Children spend more time than ever in front of the television or computer and do not exercise enough. So-called children's food often contains too much fat and sugar. Overweight children turn into overweight adults with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and orthopedic disorders as well as other diseases. Therapeutic behavioral interventions only meet with medium-term success in a minority of highly motivated families. The sole solution to this increasing problem appears to lie in primary prevention. Appropriate measures cannot, however, be introduced into the healthcare system by individual persons or groups alone. Concerted cooperation between those involved in politics, science, and healthcare is needed to support the goal of changing those living conditions that influence the nutritional and exercise behavior of children in our country.