This updated edition of the groundbreaking first edition identifies changes in U.S. children and adolescents' obesity levels within the past decade, examining factors contributing to obesity in this younger generation as well as possible solutions. * Progressively reveals the systemic complexity of obesity * Offers multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary perspectives of obesity, to include disciplines such as medicine, psychology, geography, sociology, social work, civic engineering, education, and kinesiology * Raises clear ethical and moral implications of individual and societal practices * Links obesity to income and social disparities * Details the effects of obesity on academic achievement, self-esteem, health, and lifespan