A pediatrician for 11 years, Dr. Kristen Hughes is an enthusiastic advocate for addressing childhood obesity. She has worked for the Santa Barbara Public Health Department for six years as a general pediatrician in two county health centers, caring for the most vulnerable populations in Santa Barbara, where 44% of pediatric patients aged 2-18 are overweight or obese. Five years ago, Dr. Hughes came across a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics that turned her clinical world upside down.