Bringing Awareness to Childhood Obesity Awareness this September

You have likely heard this heartbreaking statistic too many times as a health professional: seventeen-percent (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents (2-19 years old) are considered obese. ¹ An even more startling statistic is that ONE in SEVEN?preschool- aged children are also considered obese! ¹ Low income children are even harder hit by this disease.? According to the 2009 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS) data, nearly one-third of the 3.7 million low-income children aged two to four years old surveyed were either obese or overweight. ²??

These statistics do not paint a pretty picture for the future of our children.? Do not fret though.? September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.? The all-encompassing goal of Childhood Obesity Awareness Month (COAM) is to increase awareness about the childhood obesity epidemic and help motivate children, families and communities to take action.? A toolkit has been developed that is filled with web links and tools.? It can be utilized to promote COAM to the media, local elected officials or even by schools and health departments that are planning health-focused events.?

Others are jumping on the bandwagon to recognize COAM.? The President?s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) rolled out the national initiative?Physical Activity Outreach Initiative ?on September 5.? This goal of this initiative is to educate parents and caregivers on how daily physical activity for their kids can directly impact academic performance.? PCFSN co-chairs, Drew Brees and Dominique Dawes, will be featured in a variety of national print, TV and radio public service announcements, which will increase awareness of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americas.? Visit to www.fitness.gov and www.youtube.com/fitnessgov to see samples of these print materials.?

In addition to the toolkit and the PCFSN initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama?s Let?s Move Campaign is still going strong.? The First Lady?s goal is to solving the childhood obesity challenge within a generation so that kids born today have a brighter and healthier future.? It is believed that everyone plays a role in reducing childhood obesity.? Therefore, Let?s Move provides strategies and resources targeting a variety of audiences, including parents, schools and communities.?

It took a long time for our country to get to the point where so many of our youth are suffering from this disease.? It is sad, and we are not sitting back on our laurels and doing nothing.? Campaigns and initiatives such as the ones I have discussed here are strong indications that we as a nation care and are willing to fight for our children? our future.?

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html (accessed September 15, 2012)

² ?Obesity Among Low-Income Children,? National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control.

Christine M. Cliff, MPH, RD, LDN

Source: http://nutritionnotesbylzx.com/2012/09/19/357/

khloe kardashian mark davis marine urination video hostess cadillac ats bain capital marines urinating