Final Thoughts:
Everyone needs to be involved to tackle the nation's epidemic
by Tiffany Capuano

Childhood obesity is a growing health issue across the country, and many Georgia families are struggling with how to overcome the epidemic. As we wrap up our series on the subject, it’s important to remember that childhood obesity is not an issue that’s going to disappear overnight, but we can begin to tackle it in small ways every day and ultimately win the battle for the sake of our children.

“Something extraordinary has taken place in the last 20 years,” says Kenneth Powell, a public health and epidemiologic consultant. Powell has spent more than 30 years working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia’s Public Health Department. “It’s come on in subtle ways, but we’ve gotten used to it,” he says. “I’ve become accustomed to seeing overweight people, even though I’m well aware of the childhood obesity epidemic.”

A troubling study by the Philanthropic Collaborative for a Healthy Georgia, a group of foundations and grant makers, found that about one-third of the state’s children are outside a healthy body-mass index zone. Children with a BMI – a measurement of height and weight plotted on a standard growth chart – over the 85th percentile are considered overweight, according to the American Medical Association.on.

Nearly half of the 5,000 Georgia students in the study are not getting the recommended 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity. The study, released in October, also found that fifth and seventh graders in the 93 private and public schools that participated are failing in the areas of aerobic fitness and muscular strength, flexibility and endurance.

The Philanthropic Collaborative for a Healthy Georgia is trying to encourage everyone to support initiatives that can help combat childhood obesity. It’s more than just parents and children who play a part in reversing this trend.

Policymakers can take a leadership role in supporting programs that increase physical activity among kids. Schools can ensure all kids participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity during the day.
Private businesses often influence what we eat, wear and do, explains Powell. And individual communities need to invest in safe, accessible venues for physical activity, like parks, playgrounds and walking paths.

Community programs like the upcoming XRKade gym at the Northwest YMCA in Kennesaw lures tweens with high-tech fitness gadgets. Created by Denver-based iTech Fitness, the program mixes physical activity and video games to make exercising more fun and engaging. Activities like climbing walls, recumbent bicycles, snowboard simulators and padded obstacle courses are being added, according to branch director Brent Ewers.

With the popularity of the Nintendo Wii and physically immersive gaming, the XRKade gym aims to turn the distractions of the television screen into fitness solutions that cater to kids, adds Ewers.

Besides the XRKade gym that opens in 2008, the Northwest YMCA is also kicking off its Play at the Y program, where kids can participate in classic outdoor games like kickball or flashlight tag in a supervised area. a.

“In the metro area, we have the smallest ratio of park area to people,” says Powell. “We need more green space rather than letting a developer develop the land. We need creative solutions.”

As the battle to beat childhood obesity continues, parents need to understand they also play a role in modeling healthy behaviors, by teaching kids how to stay active and eat for a healthy lifestyle.

“Behavioral habits and practices as children will most likely continue into adulthood,” says Powell. Without making changes today, our children may soon become the first in American history to live shorter lives than their parents due to obesity, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

We’ve heard it before: It takes a village to raise a child. When it comes to defeating childhood obesity, it involves all of us.

Make a Plan

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) is an online program by the National Institutes of Health that offers downloadable guides and logs for tracking your family’s progress, suggestions for physical activity and recipe tips. There’s a free booklet, Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook, which offers easy-to-do ideas to help families reach a healthy weight goal. Visit wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov to get started.

The Just One More program is designed to encourage families to eat just one more serving of fruits and vegetables daily, and just one more serving of lean protein, such as tuna, weekly, to improve overall health and energy. Visit www.eatjustonemore.com for more information on the program and to make the pledge.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ new book, Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor and a Bottle of Ketchup, written by two pediatrician moms, offers insight on establishing healthy eating habits for infants, toddlers and young children. $14.95

Dig In: Online nutrition resources

Mypyramid.gov. This USDA site offers parents and kids information about the food pyramid, including a printable food pyramid and charts, plus games for kids.

Fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. A new national health initiative to replace the existing 5-A-Day campaign, this site offers cool printable pages for kids.

Kidshealth.org. This health site for kids and parents offers a variety of interactive games to teach kids about foods and their impact on the body. The site also includes easy-to-make, kid-friendly recipes.

Myoverweightchild.com. This site is designed for parents and includes a blog, resources to help children, and even covers big topics like self-esteem, diet pills for kids and low-carb diets.

Classes and Camps

Wellspring Family Camp in Manistique, Mich., is the first weight-loss camp for young children, ages 5-13. Children must be accompanied by one or more parents during the two-week sessions. Wellspring Adventure Camp in Canton, NC, for children ages 11-16 is offered in four-week sessions. Both camps include hiking, swimming, ropes courses, canoeing, soccer, football, softball, and other fun and energizing activities.
www.wellspringfamilycamp.com, www.wellspringadventurecamp.com

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta offers Fit Kids, a six-week “lifestyle makeover” designed for overweight kids and their families. The class guides families in developing healthier eating habits, increasing physical activity and building self-esteem. Launched in 1996, the Fit Kids program has served over 700 families.
404-785-7236 or www.choa.org

Emory University’s “Let’s Get Fit, Kids!” program was created to help urban, African-American children ages 7 to 11 who are obese or at risk for becoming obese to achieve a healthier body weight. The program is aimed at helping families eat fewer high-fat, high-sugar foods; spend more time being active; and spend less time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Internet. The program is offered at several locations in the south-metro area. www.whsc.emory.edu