September starts the nations’s first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The month-long focus on childhood obesity was passed by Congress earlier this year. The focus is on ways to prevent and educate about this serious health risk.
A new website www.HealthierKidsBrighterFutures.org has resources including a toolkit with fact sheets, sample letters to the editor, and scripts for public service announcements.
A study released about the issue asserts that as much as 21% of children who are obese have not been categorized that way. That’s because parents tend to underestimate their kid’s weight.
When we have an obesity rate of over 30% for our children it is alarming! However, as I’ve pointed out before, reversing it would take a huge cultural shift. We would have to approach food differently. Restaurants serve food with loads of hidden fat and calories – more than we need in an entire day. Our schools are full of pop and candy machines that help pay for education. Stressed out parents grab dinner from a fast food drive through.
I like the focus on the issue but until we change policy and make cultural changes I’m afraid this problem will be like our bellies — growing larger by the year.
Related articles
- How the White House Plans to Fight Childhood Obesity (rubberecycle.com)
- Could Sleep Deprivation Contribute to Childhood Obesity? (rubberecycle.com)
- Quick Facts about Childhood Obesity (rubberecycle.com)
- Exercise Cuts Genetic Risk for Obesity (aolhealth.com)
Tags: Child Health, Obesity
