The prevalence of obesity and overweight in childhood and among adolescents is dramatically increasing worldwide with high impact on their self-esteem and on their health as adults. Therefore, effective programs for primary prevention are urgently required. The focus of these programs should not only be on nutrition but also account for the complete sociocultural environment of the child. This paper will describe some of the more important programs on the one hand and present an exemplary concept for a scientifically observed program for prevention of obesity in preschool children on the other hand. The discussion will be completed by a short overview of programs for secondary prevention. In summary, it can be concluded that no sufficiently evaluated programs for primary prevention of obesity in childhood currently exist in Germany.