Obesity is a global pandemic, with rates increasing in both the developed and developing world. Childhood obesity is a significant concern, as it has negative consequences for other childhood morbidities and is often associated with adult obesity and cardiovascular disease. Since the 1980s, there has been an increased interest in the fetal origins of the disease, with much recent work focusing on early-life predictors of the adult disease.

The primary focus of this special issue will be new research into the developmental origins of childhood obesity. The special issue will become an international forum for researchers to summarize the most recent developments and ideas in the field, with a special emphasis given to results obtained within the last five years. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Intergenerational transmission of obesity: biology and context
• Fetal life and risk for childhood obesity
• Infancy factors and risk for obesity (birth weight, early growth trajectories, and breast feeding)
• Early childhood and later development of obesity (physical activity, screen time, parenting, etc.)

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijped/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: