subject: American Steps Against Childhood Obesity [print this page] A few years back, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) came out with a four-year study entitled "Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States." It revealed that over nine-million American children between the ages of six and nineteen are overweight, approximately three times higher than it was in 1980.
Children who are obese typically grow up to be obese, especially when the parents of the child are obese as well. The CDC study has helped motivate the American people to start looking at themselves and their children, and to take steps in order to fight the growing childhood obesity problem in our nation.
Many nutrition and fitness experts have weighed (no pun intended) in on what they feel needs to be done to curtail this frightening trend of increase in American childhood obesity.
One aspect is to improve school food. Not only does school food have a direct impact, it also sends a message to kids. If fatty-foods are being sold, impressionable young children are being taught that eating these types of food is acceptable. An education-institution should be just that, not just in the classroom but the cafeteria as well. Fixing school cafeteria food would help educate kids on how unhealthy treats are things that should only be eaten on occasion.
In that same vein, another step slowly being taken is improving the health level of food in snack vending machines. The elimination of these vending machines is not the solution, but changing the snacks that are served inside them can be. The state of California has already taken steps in this direction, recently passing a bill that prohibits schools from selling high-sugar liquids out of their drink vending machines.
A third step is the emphasis of physical activity for kids. Most experts recommend kids take part in an hour of exercise a day at a minimum. Major American institutions, such as the National Football League, have initiated movements to help motivate kids to exercise. For example, the NFL runs the NFL Play 60 campaign, which is "designed to tackle childhood obesity by getting kids active through in-school, after-school, and team base programs."
The fight against childhood obesity has gotten support from some surprising sources as well. For example, the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group recently announced they would "improve product labeling by listing calories more prominently on containers, vending machines and fountain equipment." PepsiCo also pledged to list calorie content on the front of its drink vending machines by the end of 2012.
With the help of schools, sponsors, and the state and federal government, America will be able to not only attack the childhood obesity issues that it currently faces, but defeat them.
by: Mark Etinger
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