Childhood obesity has become one of our nation's most pressing public health issues. The percentage of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 who are overweight has increased dramatically from 5.7 percent in 1980 to 17 percent in 2008 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.

To address the epidemic of childhood obesity and give help to children struggling to deal with weight issues, Penn State Hershey will partner with the Highmark Foundation to offer KidShape. KidShape is a nine-week program for families with overweight children ages 6 to 14 and is sponsored throughout the region as part of the Highmark Healthy High 5 initiative.