American children "unhealthiest generation in decades"

America's children are getting fat - so fat that they may grow up to be the unhealthiest generation in decades.

The alarm over childhood obesity rang in 2002. New data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that 15.5 percent of children were seriously overweight and 15 percent more were at risk of becoming so.

That was triple the rate of 20 years earlier. . . .

The conclusion of many nutritionists and public health officials about the 9 million overweight and 9 million at-risk youths: Children were getting less exercise than ever, just as the food industry was overwhelming time-pressed families with inexpensive, high-calorie convenience foods, snacks and sodas. Much of its advertising was aimed at children.

"If we don't get a handle on childhood obesity, it's going to consume our country," said Dr. Walter Bortz, senior adviser to Healthy Santa Clara County, a task force planning a countywide effort against obesity.