The heart of the matter: the case for taking childhood obesity seriously.

has increased dramatically, possibly only being surpassed by the rate of patient access to that information. Technological advances in diagnosis have also been immense. Furthermore, possible treatment options have expanded dramatically, none more so than the discovery of pluripotent stem cells with the ability to repair adult heart and blood vessels. Stem cell transplantation may offer immense therapeutic possibilities with a simple and cheap way of repairing end organ, and otherwise terminal, heart damage. As GPs we will need to continue to contribute to the ethical debate that surrounds this technique, and to the more pragmatic business of advising patients on the benefits and risks of such procedures.