While he waits, he consumes two sodas and a bag of Doritos. He says he exercises only when he must, like in his twice-weekly PE class. While twenty years ago, Justin's would have been an exception to the typical American childhood lifestyle, today his story is not unlike that of a growing number of children confronting obesity prior to adolescence.

American children are consuming less fruits, vegetables and lean meats than at any time in history. Nationwide, obesity is fast becoming an epidemic. Problems arising from diets comprised of mostly fast foods high in sodium, sugar and fat are worsened by a sedentary lifestyle where playtime is spent in front of the TV or playing video games.

In 1963, only four percent of children ages six to eleven were overweight, and conscientious parents often had a copy of Dr. Spock's Baby and Childcare on their bookshelves. Today, the number of overweight children in that age group has ballooned to more than 20 percent.

"Autopsies have shown deposits of fat in the main arteries on kids age two," says Scottsdale pediatrician Steven Hauben. "We're already seeing it at that age."

Sugar Babies

They're at the park, playground and the mall: sippy cups and juice boxes used to pacify toddlers on car rides and shopping trips. But there's more to juice than vitamin C. A 6.75-ounce box of Minute Maid apple juice has over five teaspoons of sugar, about the same amount contained in a 1.5-ounce Hershey's milk chocolate bar. "The sugar problem," says nutritionist Karen Harkins, "is connected to the weight problem." Harkins can quickly produce a list of foods that will send most parents on a search-and-destroy mission in their own pantries.

While they may seem healthier, similar issues plague fruit snacks like Fruit Rollups and Go-Gurts -- sticky snack foods that resemble colors closer to carnival taffy than real fruit. Their fat and sugar content provide little nutrition while the sudden rush of sugar temporarily decreases appetite without filling stomachs.

Fast Food Nation

Four nights each week, Justin's parents bring dinner home from Pei Wei or the Panda Express in the grocery store where they shop. Other nights, they order a pizza or heat up chicken bites from the freezer.

According to Eric Schlosser's best-selling book, Fast Food Nation, a generation ago, 75 percent of all money spent on food was to be prepared at home. Today, that figure has dropped to 50 percent.

Despite rising health concerns surrounding fatty foods, the popularity of fast food establishments has shown no sign of waning. However, in light of obesity studies and to appease those who may consider altering some of their on-the-go eating habits, market leaders have come courting, offering substitutes in kid's meals.

McDonald's now offers apple slices dipped in caramel while Burger King has added strawberry-sweetened applesauce to the menu. A spokesperson for Burger King says the chain wants to give children choices. But with five teaspoons of sugar and eleven grams of fat, the offerings are far from healthy alternatives.

Popular family dining spots like Kona Grill, Chili's and Red Robin carry their own entrees for children, with kid menus featuring favorites like macaroni and cheese, corn dogs, pizza, fries and chicken strips. "They're not eating what the parents are eating," says Harkins. "Of course restaurants are going to cater to what kids want," she added.

Hot lunch menu items in Scottsdale's public schools are reasonably balanced. Entrées range from cheese pizza to oven-baked chicken accompanied by green beans, broccoli, or corn and include side dishes with fresh fruit and a once-a-month ice cream cup.

Dr. Michael Helminski, principal of Kiva Elementary in Paradise Valley, has been an educator for more than 30 years. While the hot lunch improves, he says that what's in the brown bags is in decline.

"Ten or twelve years ago, I'd see more sandwiches like tuna fish and containers of soup," says Helminski. Now he says he sees popular items like Lunchables -- flashy prepackaged lunches with high-sodium processed meat and processed cheese. Those same lunches are often finished with a package of Skittles and a corn syrup-filled juice drink.

The Family That Eats Together

Eight-year-old Erica has been at risk for obesity since age three. After a medical exam at age six, she was put on a weight management plan. Now she snacks on non-buttered popcorn instead of Cheetos, and rides her bike every day after school for at least an hour. Following the advice of a nutritionist, her parents have removed the TV from her room.

Not only has her food intake changed, the family has changed its eating habits. Now instead of take-out orders thrice weekly, the whole family sits down to a home-cooked meal. Everyone eats the same meal.

For the past two years, Erica's height has increased more than her weight, and she says she has more energy.

The path to weight loss may seem obvious. But change, especially for an entire family, is difficult says Jyl Steinback, author of The Busy Mom's Make it Quick Cookbook. Steinback says it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a habit and 30 days to make the habit a lifestyle. She adds that parental direction and support are the keys to developing those healthy habits.

Dr. Hauben says physicians don't like to see drastic changes in children. "You don't want to alter normal weight gain," he said, adding that teaching children to stop eating when they're full outweighs extreme methods like gimmicky diets and weight camps.

Steinback urges parents to educate their children about healthy eating by taking them grocery shopping, reading labels and having them help bake the chicken and steam the green beans. She aims to help the busy parent and her book is filled with healthy kid-friendly recipes from snacks to holiday food.

"It takes a lot of work for a child to eat a proper meal," says Dr. Hauben. "If it were easy, we wouldn't be a country of obese people."