Pictured: Scott Wapner, CNBC General Assignment Reporter -- CNBC Photo: Virginia Sherwood

CNBC is broadcasting a doc special tonight entitled One Nation, Overweight, that examines obesity; how our school lunches and snacks are promoting bad eating habits, as well as the challenges of gastric bypass surgery (in vivid detail).

According to reporter Scott Wapner, there will be a surprises like the truth about our kids appetites and just how difficult it is to feed them healthy food. It all begins with the cost and ease of food prep and with schools having financial struggles it’s much easier to bring in the junk instead of cooking on campus.

“We really set out to do a deep dive, if you will, into the problem of obesity,” Wapner explains. “We do go into schools and see what are kids are eating everyday. We do see a charter school in San Jose, California where they serve them organic turkey meatloaf, vegetables and fresh fruit and we really see that if you give kids access and opportunity to eat healthy, they actually like it.”

But kids are only one part of the obesity story. The special also examines how the fast-food chains have gotten a foothold in our schools.

“Schools started to get strapped for cash. Budgets became tight. They were trying to feed kids and cheaply as possible. Fast food companies became rather sophisticated in how they market their product to kids and not only that, but how they market their product in schools,” Wapner tells HollywoodOutbreak.com.

He also gives us examples of how obesity affects all the other areas of our lives and where the fight against obesity has landed.

“We go inside the Cleveland Clinic, which is one of the nation’s preeminent hospitals to sort of let you wrap your arms around, or at least try to, just how serious the obesity epidemic is,” he says.

And Wapner says we’re actually closing in on a drug that can actually fight fat and we meet the pharmaceutical company on the verge of making that pill a reality.

One Nation, Overweight airs tonight, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC.

Posted by Mari Cartel