Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that approximately 17% of all children in the United States between the ages of 2 and 19 are clinically obese.
17 percent. Roughly 12.5 million children.
That number should be enough to frighten all of us.
Initiatives like Michelle Obama's Let's Move! and grassroots organization Action for Healthy Kids are among national efforts taking place to fight our rising childhood obesity trends. Resources like these are set up to help us help our kids by providing a quick and easy window into what is happening in our own states and districts, and how each of us can personally get involved.
On childhood obesity in the U.S., Action for Healthy Kids recently posed the question, “Do you agree that BOTH parents and schools have the answer to this epidemic?”
Both schools and parents ARE the answer. In fact, communities on the whole, and the people and programs that comprise them are the answer. Kids are vulnerable people. They soak in much of what they see adults doing around them. If children are told to eat healthy foods and to play outside during their free time, but see parents, teachers and coaches spending much of the day gulping caffeine while sitting at the computer, you can guess which message has more impact in the end.
As parents and educators, we need to strive for a balanced message within health education, one that gives enough weight to the importance of healthy living, but not so much that it becomes a negative topic or a source of worry for children. Kids need to be kids. Healthy diet and exercise should be habits that are just part of everyday eating and everyday play. We want to model healthy eating and regular exercise early and consistently in children’s lives. It can also be one way to engage them in family decision making, helping to foster a sense of involvement and self-worth. Many of us recognize the quote by Confucius, "Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand."
Developing healthy habits together as a family when and where possible, can not only normalize good nutrition and exercise, but can also pave the way for these habits to become ingrained as kids get older. If we can equip our schools with adequate health resources and programs, children are in a better position to recieve a consistent message both at home and in school, two environments where you can bet a lot of little eyes and ears are open.
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