This paper addresses childhood obesity and its correlating effects on an obese child's academic development. The terms and studies outlined in this paper specifically address the issue of obesity in children. It is important to state this distinction because obesity among children is defined and measured differently than it is among adults. Before discussing the differences in the academic development of non-obese children and obese children, I will begin by defining the following terms: "Body Mass Index (BMI)," "BMI-for-age," "Overweight," "Percentile Rates," and "Childhood Obesity."