First Lady Michelle Obama formally announced today a “very ambitious” initiative to end childhood obesity, one of her signature causes. “We want to eliminate this problem of childhood obesity in a generation. We want to get that done,” said Obama, in the launching of the national campaign, “Let’s Move,” which aims to educate parents, make healthier food more affordable and accessible, and encourage physical activity.
The carefully orchestrated rollout includes a new nonprofit foundation and a range of approaches to tackle the problem, including state and local level programs. “We all know the numbers,” Obama said in an interview this morning with “Good Morning America’s” Robin Roberts. “I mean, one in three kids are overweight or obese, and we’re spending $150 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses. So we know this is a problem, and there’s a lot at stake.”
First lady Obama talked about “common sense steps that families and communities can take to reduce childhood obesity.” And not just common sense, perhaps, but game-changing solutions. Even Obama admitted, as she gathered cabinet officials around her, that “there is no expert who says that the government telling people what to do does any good.”
We propose our own game-changing solution: BodiMojo, a health-based social engagement site for teens; health management with teen preferences, leveraging social networking elements. It’s a common-sense step, backed by technology and grassroots engagement.
We applaud the First Lady’s commitment to children’s health. It will take a concerted effort among all of us to create healthier communities for our children. It’s a challenge we’ve already begun to take on.
Stemming the Tide of Obesity in Children: The Fight Against Fat | BodiMojo Teen Health Blog - Teenage Nutrition, Fitness, Stress, Relationships & More // Feb 1, 2011 at 1:25 pm
[...] February 1st, 2011 by Karen Feldscher · No Comments It seems like we hear almost every day about the daunting problem of overweight and obese kids in this country. The statistics are alarming. Almost 20 percent of U.S. children are overweight or obese; in some low-income areas, the rate can be 40 percent or more. And the rates have been on the rise since the 1970s. But there are plenty of efforts to stem the tide—everything from Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to BodiMojo. Now, a new study from researchers in Australia shows that parents who take classes on healthy eating and exercise can play a key role in helping their kids lose weight. The study enrolled parents of 169 obese or overweight children aged 5 to 9 in a “healthy lifestyle” course. After six months, the children’s body mass index dropped an average of 10 percent, as did their waist circumference. Even 18 months later the kids had kept the weight off. Parents who participated in the study said that, after the healthy lifestyle sessions, they felt more comfortable saying no to their children’s demands, setting limits on the type of food their children could eat, limiting their TV or video game time, and enforcing consequences for breaking the rules. The study’s lead author, Anthea Magarey, senior research associate of nutrition and dietetics at Flinders University School of Medicine, noted that parents play a huge role in their kids’ eating and exercise habits—especially when it comes to young children. The obesity fight got another healthy shot in the arm last week from the New Balance Foundation, which gave $7 million to Boston’s Children’s Hospital to create the New Balance Foundation Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention, Clinical Research and Care. The center will help kids reach and maintain a healthy weight to stave off cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other health threats. These efforts are incredibly welcome. Here’s hoping more such efforts follow suit. Check out some more information from BodiMojo: Stemming the tide of obesity Michelle Obama tackles childhood obesity [...]