Sep

29

(Childhood Obesity News) What the US government is doing about childhood obesity - CalorieLab Calorie Counter News

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Starting out as an overweight child makes it much more likely that person will be overweight as an adult, Galson said, noting that about 80 percent of kids who are overweight at the age of eight to 10 will still be overweight at 25. He says parents who are worried about their children should check with the child’s doctor to see if the child’s weight is healthy (and you may have to bring it up; doctors often don’t talk about kids being overweight without prompting from the parents), reduce sedentary behavior, increase physical activity and improve what the child and the family as a whole are eating because “it’s enormously important” to set a good example for kids, Galson said. Of course the Surgeon General isn’t going it alone when it comes to trying to convince parents and kids to maintain a healthy weight. The government sponsors public service announcements with the theme Be a Player to encourage kids to get physical activity and show them that it’s actually fun. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides grants for state-focused nutrition and physical activity programs, which have so far been started in 27 states, and the Food and Drug Administration has information on interpreting food labels for tweens and has an office of minority health that focuses on getting health information to members of minority groups. Read Childhood Obesity

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