Childhood obesity is a huge systemic problem. It's a pandemic to a certain extent.

We already know this, certainly, and we also know that poverty and obesity are very clearly linked. These researchers are just looking at the issue again, and clarifying it and making it scientific.

As childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to rise at unprecedented rates, it is crucial that families make nutrition and exercise an everyday priority. There are many simple changes that can become lifelong habits. These include making neighborhood walks part of a family's routine, making fruits and vegetables available at home and at school and reducing the amount of sugar in beverages and baked goods.

It's a bold and sweeping step that industry and childhood obesity advocates have decided to take together.

It's going to get worse before it gets better, and we can't really wait for reductions in childhood obesity to fix the problems because it's an immediate safety issue. We definitely need to see seats that have been designed and tested and approved at higher weights.

The childhood obesity trend is on the rise and has been for decades.