Introduction to Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is, "a serious medical condition that affects children and adolescents. It occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height"(Mayo Clinic, 2008). It is an epidemic that is growing. This issue has not always been a noted problem in the United States until the late 1900's. According to theNational Institutes of Health, "The number of children who are overweight has doubled in the last two to three decades; currently one child in five is overweight." The increase in percentages over time will become a problem for the future of our children. For the first time in history, American children could have a shorter life span than their parents.

One in three children in the U.S. is considered overweight or obese. Childhood obesity affects all population groups; both male and female. It leads to many health and social consequences that can continue on into later life. Prevention is the key, but unfortunately there isn't a magic formula for each individaul. Unfortuanately, there are many challenges that prevent a solution to childhood obesity. Three areas of intervention include the following:

- Physical Activity
- Healthy Diet
- Behavior Modification

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Local School Participate in Walk to School Day

At the invitation of the Utah County Health Department, Edgemont and Cherry Creek Elementary Schools participated in Walk to School Day on October 8th. The Utah County Health Department (UCHD) promotes Walk to School Day to all Gold Medal Schools programs.

“That day we passed out incentives and healthy treats to students that walked or biked to school that morning,” said Carissa Hoggan from the UCHD. “This is part of the kick off week for Gold medal Schools in Utah. We are having an assembly right before it to encourage children to walk to school and live healthy lives,” said Chelsea Foutz from Mount loafer Elementary in Salem.

Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. Today more than 40 countries around the world participate in this event. This year, the event was held on October 8, 2008. Communities can choose to celebrate for a day, a week, or for the whole month as part of the International Walk to School Month. It was expected that 5,000 schools from all 50 states would be participating this year. About 76 of these schools came from Utah.

Walk to School events work to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community. Many of the events are part of ongoing activities to promote increased physical activity throughout the year.

In the 1960’s, about 90% of children, who lived within a mile of school, walked or biked to school on a regular basis. Today only about 10-15% of children nationwide walk to school regularly. As we have all heard, the U.S. is experiencing an obesity epidemic among children; 1 out of 3 children is considered overweight or obese. In 2006, 22.5% of all elementary students in Utah were at an unhealthy weight. Programs such as these can help to reverse the decline in children walking to school and increase their physical activity.

The UCHD along with GMS encouragges children to increase thier physical activity and decrease their time in front of the television or computer. There are many benefits from walking or biking. Children who are more physically active have increased alertness, which can help children to do better in school. An active lifestyle in children will increase the number of children who will grow into adults with an active lifestyle. This will improve their chances for better overall health and decrease their chances for chronic diseases.

This is a great event that can help us to incorporate physical activity into each day, realize the great opportunity to have a safe place to walk or bike to school, enjoy the fresh air – and become healthier!

For more information, please visit the following websites:
International Walk to School in the USA http://www.walktoschool.org/
National Center for Safe Routes to School http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/
International Walk to School http://www.iwalktoschool.org/
Utah County Health Department http://www.utahcountyonline.org/Dept/Health/index.asp
Gold Medal Schools http://www.hearthighway.org/
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