How to Fight Childhood Obesity and Promote Health in Your Family

Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign and Book, American Grown

The startling and rapid rise in childhood obesity is what prompted First Lady Michelle Obama to launch the “Let’s Move” program which aims to put children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years. The First Lady has now also authored a book, American Grown, which is filled with advice for parents, schools, cities and states on how they can help combat the obesity crisis: how to start gardens, get children to like healthy foods and find more opportunities for exercise.

Why Obesity Matters

Childhood obesity has now reached epidemic proportions in the United States. According to a 2012 American Heart Association Update,  1 in 3 of our nation’s children are overweight, and 1 in 6 are medically “obese.” Overweight teens have a 70% chance of becoming overweight adults (increasing to 80% if both parents are also overweight).

Being overweight contributes to a slew of health problems, including:

• heart disease
• stroke
• diabetes
• cancer
• gall bladder disease
• sleep apnea.

Furthermore, the obesity epidemic is not only a danger to our nation’s health, but to our economy as well.  A new study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine predicts 42% of U.S. adults will be clinically obese by the year 2030. At the recent CDC Weight of the Nation conference, analysts reported this could add another 32 million obese Americans to the current total of 78 million, and cost an additional $549.5 billion in obesity-related healthcare costs.

“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake.” 
– Michelle Obama

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What Families Can Do to Prevent Childhood Obesity

There are things parents can do to fight childhood obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends doing the following to support active living in your home.

How to Be Healthy Family

• Eat 5 fruits and vegetables per day
• Get 1 hour of physical activity a day (does not have to be consecutive)
• Limit screen time (TV/computer/video games) to less than 2 hours a day
• Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks
• Always eat breakfast
• Switch to low-fat dairy products
• Eat meals together regularly
• Limit fast food, take out, and restaurant eating so you are more in control of the ingredients of your meals
• Prepare meals as a family
• Eat a diet rich in calcium and fiber

By doing as many of these as possible, you can improve the health of your kids and fight obesity in our children.

by Pamela Layug Laney