Childhood Obesity
I called this site Wellness Moment "Words that feel good" because I do not like the fear-based, risk approach that much of the Health Promotion world embraces.  However, when there is a real problem, I will be the first to sound the alarm and join the fire brigade.  So let me just officially say, the barn is on fire.

Our children may be the first generation who do not outlive their parents. Why? We are failing to do enough to reduce, reverse, or stop highly preventable diseases that are caused by improper nutrition and physical inactivity.  (See the opinion of the YMCA's Michael Spezzano opinion on the "Obesity Epidemic").

In the past few months, several major developments on this issue have come to my attention. Here are a few:
From Play Everyday, a report by Stanford University
• 10-16 year olds are engaged in vigorous activity for less than 13 minutes per day but spend over 10 waking hours relatively motionless
• 8-18 year olds spend 6.5 hours per day with personal use media ( TV, DVDs, computers, radio and CDs)
• An energy imbalance of about 130 calories per day explains nearly all of the population weight gain among children over the past 15 years. That is the caloric equivalent of a can of soda

From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who just invested $500 million with the goal of reversing childhood obesity by 2015.
• 40 years ago, half of school children walked or biked to school. Today, 9 out of 10 are driven to school
• For the past 30 years, there has been an energy imbalance in which the average child has consumed more calories than they needed for normal development and function
• In the past 20 years, the common serving size of things like french fries and soda have increased about 50%
• The overweight teenager today consumes from 750 to 1000 more calories each day than they really need. Over 10 years, this will result in about 58 pounds of weight gain

Similar information is available from the Institute of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

What Can We Do?
Here are some simple suggestions.

Parents
1. Limit screen time to 2 hours or less. My family watched no TV for a week and lived.
2. Where feasible, walk with your family everyday.
3. Join with other parents to walk children to and from school.
4. Buy and serve fruits and vegies. After a friend bought an apple slicer for about a buck, she commented "apple consumption has tripled". 

Teachers
How can we ask anymore of you? You work hard and are not paid enough. But can we ask you to ask our kids to do more?
1. Have our K-6 students walk around the playground once before re-entering the building after recess or lunch.
2. Please save your money and don't give our kids candy. They don't need it.
3. Let our kids see you eating healthy food and walking outside.

Business and Government Leaders
1. If you reduce the size of your product but charge the same price, won't you actually make more money?
2. Quality of life amenities such as bike paths, playgrounds, sidewalks, and parks are desireable features. If you build them, we will come.
3. Read what Arkansas did. That's right Arkansas. 

Ding Ding Ding. The barn is burning. So gear up and lets put that fire out!