In honor of March being American Dietetic Association (http://www.eatright.org) National Nutrition Month, today’s article is about childhood obesity.

According to http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.html, childhood obesity is a major health issue. The 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) shows that approximately 17% of children ages 2-19 are obese. A significant rise in childhood obesity occurred between 1976 and 2000. Childhood obesity (which could carry over into adulthood) can lead to health problems like cardiovascular disease caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it’s very important to take steps to reduce or prevent obesity, and it’s never too early to begin. Additional information can be found at the above website.

First Lady Michelle Obama has been an advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity in recent years. In February of 2010, she launched an initiative called Let’s Move! (which is referred to as “America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids”). The purpose of Let’s Move! is to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. As a result of this movement, a Task Force on Childhood Obesity was established. There are five pillars of Let’s Move!: (1) Creating a healthy start for children, (2) Empowering parents and caregivers, (3) Providing healthy food in schools, (4) Improving access to healthy, affordable foods, and (5) Increasing physical activity. The Let’s Move! website is http://www.letsmove.gov.

A local advocate for childhood obesity for the past decade is Dr. Toni Moody, a pediatrician with her own practice in Apopka. She recently organized a bike rally that was held at Nap Ford Community School in downtown Orlando as part of her efforts to combat childhood obesity. For the last six summers, Moody has run a one-week camp where children can learn for free how to participate in vigorous physical activities while having fun. The Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children has sponsored programs with the goal of reducing childhood obesity. These programs include fun activities that raise awareness and teach life skills. The website related to these programs is http://www.floridahospitalforchildren.com/en/specialties-and-programs/health-and-wellness/obesity.

The Style Channel television program Too Fat for Fifteen: Fighting Back portrays childhood obesity in an eye-opening manner. This show is aired at 8:00 P.M. on Mondays. More details are available at http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/toofatfor15/index.jsp. National and local movements like the ones described in this article can go a long way in our battle against childhood obesity.