Doctors have been looking into ways to help the child obesity epidemic, and while thankfully there have been some improvements in the national trending, many are concerned that it is still just not enough. Many are still worried about those who are being impacted by childhood obesity and the many health problems that are associated with it.

A contested but pushed for more standard testing regimen for cholesterol and testing for the ‘bad’ cholesterol levels of children are leaving some parents surprised.

Kids with LDL "bad"cholesterol levels of 160 mg/dL or higher are at risk of type 2 diabetes and heart attacks in early adulthood, notes William Neal, MD, professor of pediatrics at West Virginia University, Morgantown.

Such children need medical attention. Those with a genetic tendency for very high cholesterol — about one in 500 kids — need treatment. To find them, it’s recommended that pediatricians offer cholesterol screening to kids whose parents or grandparents have very high cholesterol and/or heart disease. But not all of these kids actually get tested.

"A lot of parents told us they didn’t even know kids had cholesterol, let alone high cholesterol," Neal tells WebMD.

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While the practice may leave a few out there with a bad taste in their mouth, doctors are saying that it is needed, however unfortunately.  While the obesity is seeming to be getting a bit better overall, more work is still vastly needed to protect the health of children.