September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
September is “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.” Let’s take a moment to bring awareness to the epidemic that is “Childhood Obesity.” Over 23 million American children and teens ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a fourfold increase in 40 years. Obesity puts extra strain on children’s body’s making them susceptible to adult ailments such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Unfortunately the epidemic does not stop with our children; in fact, it begins with adults, namely parents who have succumb to overweight or obesity themselves and find they are perpetuating the cycle with their children. Almost 65% of adults are overweight or obese, 32.2% of males and 35.5% of females, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chronic diseases associated with overweight/obesity account for 70% of the deaths of Americans each year. And the “Obesity Epidemic” hits Americans’ pocketbooks hard as well, costing the nation a whopping 1 trillion dollars.
The staggering reality of obesity in this country prompted the U.S. Congress to declare September as “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.”+
This is a time for everyone to
- realize children’s lives are in danger from the excess of unhealthy foods and the lack of physical activity in our society;
- make the small changes that will result in healthier kids;
- take responsibility for our health; and help stop the rising obesity statistics.
In an effort to assist young families with children as they strive to lead a healthier life, health and nutrition professionals from the nation’s oldest university system, land grants, are pooling their knowledge and applying their research in the eXtension Community of Practice (CoP), Families, Food and Fitness. Families, Food and Fitness is a trustworthy source of science-based, peer reviewed information to help you raise a healthy family.
Families, Food and Fitness also brings health and nutrition research to the public with informative webinars. Join Dr. Jennifer Orlet Fisher, Temple University, and Dr. Laura Hubbs-Tait, Oklahoma State University, October 20 at 11 AM ET to discuss “Early Parenting Feeding Practices.” The webinar will concentrate on parenting and feeding styles and their association with overweight and obesity in children ages 3 to 5 years old.
Health and nutrition professionals work collaboratively to create material that is research and science-based to help families lead healthy lives and raise healthy children. Families, Food and Fitness is led by Dr. Jane Clary, Extension Professor, Health Specialist at Mississippi State University, Dr. Carolyn Dunn, Professor and Nutrition Specialist at North Carolina State University, Dr. Kathleen Morgan, Family and Community Health Sciences Chair at Rutgers University, and Dr. Susan Welsh, National Program Leader, Nutrition at USDA. Families, Food and Fitness is organized around three goals for young families with children:
- Improve diets;
- Increase physical activity; and
- Maintain body weight in a healthy range and avoid excess weight gain.
The content of the website is focused on six key behaviors identified in the literature to be associated with maintaining and achieving a healthy body weight:
- Move More Everyday
- Tame the Tube
- Control Portion Size
- Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables
- Prepare More Meals at Home
- Re-Think Your Drink
Currently, Families, Food and Fitness has peer-reviewed materials to help you make healthy decisions. Not only is the website available 24/7/365, you can also ask CoP members your specific questions with eXtension’s “Ask an Expert” feature. Families, Food and Fitness is also reachable through your favorite social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
Visit the Families, Food and Fitness CoP for helpful articles and FAQs in each of the six behaviors and fun interactive tools such as the “Beverage Guide to Sugars,” “Fast Food Menu with Fitness Calculator,” “Spice Guide,” and “Nutrition Facts Label.” Families, Food and Fitness also offers Extension-tested healthy recipes, a cooking and nutrition glossary contributed to by culinary textbook author, Chef Sarah Labensky, and short, entertaining, and instructional videos.
For more information on the Families, Food and Fitness Community of Practice, visit the Families, Food and Fitness Home Page
If you are interested in joining the community, visit the about eXtension page
Connect with Families, Food and Fitness on
Hectic schedules and the abundance of unhealthy options can make healthy lifestyle decisions almost impossible to stick with. Couple that with health and nutrition recommendations that seem to change daily, and you’re left with overwhelmed and exhausted parents. eXtension’s Families, Food and Fitness CoP is a resource you can trust. Together, we can change the future for our children. Start today by moving more and eating better. Families, Food and Fitness has the resources to help you achieve and maintain these lifestyle changes.
For more information on September as “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month” visit Healthier Kids Brighter Futures.
+Statistics from the Healthier Kids Brighter Futures website.
