BodiMojo Teen Health Blog – Teenage Nutrition, Fitness, Stress, Relationships & More

Checking out recent health-related headlines, I found plenty about childhood obesity—as usual. Such as:

*  Children are more likely to be bullied if they’re overweight or obese.

* Boys who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight or obese.

* Kids who live in the southern states are more likely to be obese than kids in the north.

*  Latino kids are more likely to be obese than other kids.

It seems that our nation—and, most sadly, our kids—are mired in this epidemic. According to the American Obesity Association 15.5 percent of teens are obese, and 30.4 percent—nearly one third—are overweight.

Of course, we at BodiMojo are thrilled that First Lady Michelle Obama has taken on childhood obesity as her signature cause. And the very fact that childhood obesity is often in the news is a good thing, in a way, because at least it gets people to focus on it.

Another good thing: A promising report in the Wall Street Journal discusses an IBM effort to tackle childhood obesity. Big Blue plans to develop computer models to analyze huge amounts of available data about what might affect obesity—things like the relationships between farming, transportation, urban planning, food choices and exercise, family influences, and socioeconomic status. Once the data is analyzed, IBM will share it with the medical community, policy and food experts, industry leaders, and academics.

IBM Fellow and VP for Integrated Health Services Martin Sepulveda says it’s important to understand “how each factor in our environment plays a role” in contributing to obesity.

Makes sense. Because in spite of people’s efforts to eat right and keep fit, there are all sorts of factors that can stand in the way. Like the location of the nearest market with good fresh fruits and veggies. Or the affordability and proximity of a gym, or a safe park. Or whether Mom and Dad get home in time to cook a nutritious dinner.

Here’s hoping that all this heavy-duty analysis helps us figure out how to stop the rising tide of obesity—and help our kids live long, healthy lives.