Childhood obesity does not discriminate, as it affects all ethnicities, ages, genders, and economic statuses. Obesity is a body measurement that falls outside the defined limits of an individual's height and weight. Unfortunately, “increasing weight puts children at risk for chronic disease, reduced quality of life, and poor health outcomes” (Sealy, 1). Research indicates that some of the risk factors that may be linked to obesity in young children are the environment, adult behavior, and energy-dense foods. Many studies have shown that young children have no control over the foods they eat and rely on their parents or guardians to provide them with nutritious meals. It's important to learn more about what contributes to obesity, said authors McKee, Maher, Deen and Blank: "Currently, national estimates indicate that 36% of the pediatric population is overweight or obese" ( McKee, 249). This article evaluates studies of parental behavior and belief systems that may contribute to childhood obesity risk. In the research conducted by Croker, Sweetman and Cooke, they sought to determine whether parents' knowledge, attitudes, practices and concerns regarding food portions had an impact on childhood obesity (Croker). The aim of the study was to determine whether parents knew about healthy eating, weighed food, and monitored and judged appropriate portion sizes. It is hypothesized that access to large portions of energy-dense foods could contribute to obesity and weight gain. The study consisted of a sample of mothers who agreed to give their views on their children's eating habits. The mothers who volunteered for the research had children aged 6 to 11. Parents' education level......middle of article......their mindset to bring about the necessary lifestyle change. Works Cited Croker, H., Sweetman, C. and Cooke, L. (2009). Mothers' opinions on portion sizes for children. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 22(5), 437-443. From Health Source: Academic EditionMcKee, M., Maher, S., Deen, D. and Blank, AE (2010). Counseling to prevent obesity in preschool children: acceptability of a pilot urban primary care intervention. Annals of Family Medicine, 8(3), 249-255. Excerpted from Health Source: Academic EditionSealy, Y. (2010). Parental food choices: obesity among minority parents and children. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 27(1), 1-11. Extracted from Health Source: Academic EditionYoung, LR and Nestlé, M. (2002). The contribution of increasing portion sizes to the obesity epidemic in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 92, 246–249.