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Hope for the battle against childhood obesity

BoardBuzz?s concern with childhood obesity was rewarded with promising news from an Associated Press article found via MSNBC.com here. The article informs us that the percentage of children in the United States who are overweight or obese seems to have leveled off for the first time after a 25-year increase. BoardBuzz is happy to hear this encouraging news! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, levels of obesity have been steadily rising in American children since 1980. While BoardBuzz is pleased that percentages have not increased since 2004, we know that a lot still needs to be done in the battle against childhood obesity. Our own Brenda Greene, director of NSBA's School Health programs, weighed in, saying, "This is very exciting news and shows that actions by school leaders to change policies and practices can make a difference. But more needs to happen to change the school, community and home environments to continue shifting the direction of the epidemic of childhood obesity." And she's not the only one who thinks so. According to the article, Dr. Reginald Washington, a children's heart specialist in Denver and member of an American Academy of Pediatrics obesity committee, agrees, saying, "the country should be congratulated'' if the rates have in fact peaked.

"There are a lot of people trying to do good things to try to stem the tide,'' Washington said. Some schools are providing better meals and increasing physical education, and Americans in general "are more aware of the importance of fruits and vegetables,'' he said. On the other hand, he noted that he recently treated an obese young patient "who in three days did not have a single piece of fresh fruit. "We still have a long ways to go,'' he said.

BoardBuzz also recommends visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website, where they have tips and ideas that parents can use in helping to prevent obesity in their children. They have a lot of great and useful information!

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on May 29, 2008 (boomark / email).