1. Background
The increasing rate of obesity among children and adolescents in the last three decades is posing a major health concern that should be urgently addressed. Despite the latest national reports in the country that suggest a positive decline in the childhood obesity prevalence patterns, the country still grapples with about 12 million children suffering from obesity. Considering the immediate and long-term health impacts of obesity, a lot of resources and efforts have been spent by government agencies and advocacy groups to address this epidemic. However, these efforts have only yielded limited or short-term gains. As a result, the adverse impacts of childhood obesity continue to capture the interests and attention of public, and policy makers. Childhood obesity not only pose serious health problems, but it also increases the economic costs for treating children. Therefore, there is need to develop effective strategies to regulate the worrying increase in the population of overweight and obese children.