Topics: Child Obesity, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Wellness
This September marks the second annual
observance of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. As the month comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting
on what this observance really means and how we, as people who care about
children, can make a difference.
First, why is there a month to promote awareness of childhood obesity?
The reason is because childhood obesity has become such huge problem in the
United States. Today, more than one-third of all children and adolescents aged
10-17 are overweight or obese. One
in three kids! What’s more, over the past forty
years, obesity in children ages 6 to 11 has more than quadrupled (from 4.2% to 19.6%) and obesity in adolescents ages 12
to 19 has more than tripled (from
4.6% to 18.1%). Scary stuff.
Obesity tends to cluster in certain
states. A new report from Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens
America’s Future 2011 details the
state-by-state trends. The report shows that in nine states and the District of
Columbia more than 20 percent of children are obese. This means that in those
ten areas, more than 1 out of every 5 children is in danger of not outliving
their parents because of their weight. Again, scary stuff.
Fortunately,
major efforts at the federal, state and local level are helping to make the
childhood obesity issue more high-profile among the American public. One
federal initiative is Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, which among other
achievements has helped stimulate the passage of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids
Act of 2010 (HHFKA). The HHFKA represents a major positive milestone in
creating healthier school environments.
Some
of the exciting changes resulting from the HHFKA include improvements to nutritional
standards for school meals and competitive foods (i.e. less french fries and
chips, more apples and salads!), startup money for farm to school programs, and
better standards for local school wellness policies.
Guidance for how
local school wellness policies will be improved under HHFKA was just announced this
month. The most notable new requirements for school wellness policies include:
the addition of goals for nutrition promotion, the allowance of teacher input
into wellness policy development and required transparency and reporting of
outcomes.
So,
as advocates for child health, how can we do our part to support National
Childhood Obesity Awareness Month? First, get informed about the problem; then,
get involved in your school and community to make a difference. A good place to
start is by checking out the links in this post, and then visiting the
childhood obesity section of the NEA HIN website by clicking here.
Next,
try to set a good example by taking steps to make your own life healthier.
Think about how much physical activity you get in a day. Not much? Start by
adding just 10 minutes of physical activity a day until you get up to 30
minutes every day. Think about what you normally eat. A little low on fruits
and veggies? Strive to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies at each
meal, and think about trying a new fruit or vegetable each month to stave off
boredom. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to a healthier you!