Saturday November 21st, 2009
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Target: Childhood Obesity
Posted by Su Avasthi on April 4, 2007 - 4:56pm.
Perhaps throwing money at a problem really can make it better.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation clearly thinks so, because yesterday they pledged $500 million over the next five years to help fight childhood obesity.
Obesity among kids and teenagers is, as you probably know, one of this country's fastest-growing epidemics. Currently some 25 million kids -- or one-third of all children and teens -- are overweight or obese. Worse still, even babies are now fatter than before.
If it sounds ambitious, it is. According to the New York Times, it's the largest public health initiatives ever tried by a private philanthropy. But it's not the first time the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has made a significant difference in the American lifestyle habits.
Throughout the 1990s and early part of this decade, the foundation contributed more than $400 million to help reduce smoking. Fewer people smoke today and the organization will bring those lessons into this battle.
After reviewing a few of their strategies, I have to say that I'm excited by their realistic approach. They've posted an overview on their website.
For instance, statistics show that obesity is particularly problematic for poor or underprivileged families, partly because they can't necessarily make better choices. When streets and playgrounds aren't safe enough, kids spend more time watching TV, which is directly linked to obesity. Also, access to fresh fruits and vegetables is limited in poorer neighborhoods.
The RWJ Foundation plans to:
- Encourage supermarket chains to return or open in poorer neighborhoods.
- Invest in a variety of programs to promote access to healthy foods.
- Encourage and fund safer play areas for kids
- Donate money to research
- Change laws and policies, such as banning sugary or unhealthy snacks from school vending machines or making it physical education a mandatory part of the school day.
It will probably take years before the tide turns. But this initiative is sure to put the spotlight on the problem.
And, most likely, they'll provide real opportunities so that everyone can make better choices for their health.
Photo credit: BBC News
Topics:
- Health
- childhood obesity
- children
- exercise
- healthy eating
- kids
- obesity
- playground
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
I see it all the time! Parent stopping off at fast food places on the way to school or home. The other thing is TV and computer games. We have be come a country of whatever is the easiest. I am a Boomer Baby, we ate at home 99% of the time and were made to go out and play. I still like to go out and play. I do like some fast foods, however it is very rare. I like the food I cook at home. I know what I am eating. As far as TV we all be better off with less of it. We sit and we get fat and let it control our lives.
Move – Eat at Home – Play – Read a Book!
http://parentsagainstjunkfood.com/
Have a wonderful day, everyone.
YogaVicki
http://www.yogavicki.com
God Bless the RWJ Foundation!
Thanks to childhood obesity, along with its unwelcomed health complications, it has been said that this generation of children will be the first to be outlived by their parents (in years, total) and live sicker lives than preceding generations.
What?!
If we look around and casually estimate the BMI of those around us, obesity is clearly not just a childhood epidemic. Remember the old saying "it starts in the home"...? How can we expect these poor children to learn the importance of exercise and healthy eating from parents who look and eat like THAT!
Please pardon my 'tell it like it is' preaching here, but, there are a few things that I feel passionately about- and this topic is one of them.
Having said that, you and I both know darn well that it does not take a MS or Ph.D. in nutrition to instil common sense eating into children. Start with the basics: If you can grow it (fruits/veg), you can eat it. Start with that. Furthermore, educate children on pesticides and other carcinogenic chemicals, hormone disruptors, the leptin connection, emotional eating; all excellent lead-ins to the importance of organics.
Organics can be pricey, unfortunately, but here's my take on that issue: Spent hard earned food money on organics- it will definitely make you think twice before gorging down a bunch of unnecessary calories and they do not contain the trick ingredients that signal your brain to keep eating!
Organics may be out of reach and unrealistic for those living in underserved neighborhoods, that is why a sound education is key. I was delighted to come across this website that lists states that have taken huge strides in offering nutritional education for children.
"insulin is essentially a storage hormone, evolved to put aside excess carbohydrate calories in the form of fat in case of future famine. So the insulin that's stimulated by excess carbohydrates aggressively promotes the accumulation of body fat.'" Dr. Mercola, mercola.com
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/ChildhoodObesity-2005.htm
It's true, the obesity epidemic knows no boundaries. I
n the UK, I am horrified by the size of children, some who are larger than their parents by the time they are teenagers. It seems to be far easier for some parents to let their children eat whatever they like, even if it's at the expense of their health (and in most cases, their pocket too).
To eat healthily isn't so expensive, particularly if it is to feed a family, but buying convenience food is just so wasteful, in terms of both spent money and the environment.
One of my friends who has struggled with a weight problem all her life, has a son who is 13 and would fit into the 'obese' category. The majority of his weight issue is down to a junk food diet and overly large servings of high calorie and saturated fat foods. I also see my friend eating similar types of food, so the learned behaviour is there for him to think it's ok to eat like that.
Instead of her taking the view that she can't lose weight, I hope she might see what it could do to her son in years to come.
Most of us know about eating fats and sugars and how they can affect the body. But, does anybody know the effect on a persons weight from eating growth hormones in the meats being eaten?
Any ideas on how this will slow or speed up the above objective?
Check out these sites. They should help you understand hormone disruptors & carcinogens as they relate to consuming animals injected with growth hormones.
http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Factsheet/Diet/fs37.hormones.cfm
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/hormones/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/toxic/hormone042302.cfm
http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/education/articles-detail.asp?Main_ID=127
I have two boys and I am always trying to promote healthy food. They don't quite understand why we need to eat like we do, but I am trying to teach them about a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and portion control.
It is more than just about food. It is about treating your body with respect and that has to start early.