Obesity, an excessive amount of body fat, boosts the risk of diabetes, heart conditions and many other diseases. Nearly one-fifth of American children are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Type 2 diabetes was once labeled adult-onset diabetes, but that term no longer applies. As the incidence of childhood obesity has risen in recent decades, so has the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The CDC now estimates that one out of three children born in 2000 will develop diabetes.

Obesity can also cause a phenomenon called double diabetes, in which children with type 1 diabetes who gain weight develop insulin resistance. Obesity might also cause an earlier onset of type 1 diabetes.

Obesity is a health threat in anyone who has or is at risk for diabetes, and improving obesity statistics has become a priority for health agencies and professionals.