If your child is eating more calories than they need every day, they start to gain weight. Children need calories to fuel their rapid growth, but if they're getting more than they need, obesity could become a serious health problem. Being overweight or obese is a rapidly increasing problem in children across the United States. More children are developing type 2 diabetes and other conditions that normally affect older adults, like high blood pressure, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. They may also develop sleep apnea and joint pain. Obesity can also make life hard for children so they don't get on as well at school and might have low self-esteem. Your provider at Newport Children's Medical Group can help by creating a comprehensive plan to tackle their obesity.