With nearly 33% of children in America considered to be overweight or obese - a rate that has tripled in adolescents and more than doubled in younger children since 1980 - an Obama Administration task force recently established a goal of reducing the childhood obesity rate to just 5% by 2030, less than a generation away.
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According to C & R's Youth Beat, kids eat at a restaurant 2.5 times a month. In an average 30-day month, there are 150 meal occasions:
- 30 Breakfasts
- 30 Lunches
- 30 Dinners
- 60 Snacks (at twice a day)
If kids are only going to restaurants 2-3 times a month, they account for only
2 percent of all meal occasions.
To read more, download the pdf
President Bill Clinton Honors 179 U.S.
Schools
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, today recognized 179 schools that have transformed their campuses into healthier places for students and staff.
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I would like to share a blog post from Scotie Conner, a 17-year-old member of the National Youth Advisory Board for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an organization that works to combat childhood obesity.
Conner writes, “One in three American children is overweight or obese. Experts say that my generation could be the first in history to live shorter lives than their parents. A 2007 national survey shows 16.4 percent of Oklahoma children ages 10 to 17 are obese, with the state ranking 17th out of the 50 states and District of Columbia for childhood obesity.
The only way we can solve this epidemic is to motivate kids to make healthy lifestyle choices. That’s why I and more than 2 million other young people have joined the ‘EmpowerMe’ movement (www.empowerme2b.org). Across our nation, young people are working to inspire each other to eat better, move more and be a solution to America’s obesity epidemic.
September is ‘Go Healthy Month.’ Parents, help make your home healthier. It can be accomplished by small things like eating fruits and veggies with every meal and avoiding sodas. Help us empower kids to make sure our generation will live longer, healthier lives.â€
