Obese Children Miss More School Days(ay differ somewhat for suburban rural or...),Health

Still, the findings may encourage parents and the school system to work harder to keep children's weight in check. Foster recommends that parents be good role models, limit TV time, and create a healthy environment, including healthy eating and lots of physical activity.

"This study is just one view of the tip of the iceberg in which childhood obesity may have much more far-reaching negative effects on our society than any of us can imagine, and it should trigger us to be even more vigilant in finding solutions," said Robinson. "If more school absences are occurring now, these cannot be made up for in the future, and we may be losing a generation or two while waiting for action."

More information

For more on childhood obesity, visit the Obesity Society.

SOURCES: Gary Foster, Ph.D., director, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia; Thomas N. Robinson, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of pediatrics, Stanford University, director, Center for Healthy Weight, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.; Michael Dansinger, M.D., obesity researcher, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston; August 2007, Obesity