Food for thought on winning the battle of childhood obesity
Good stuff in this article. Well worth the read.
by BILL KOHLER / Tri-State Editor
Much has been written and said over the past several years about childhood obesity.
Our kids are overweight, out of shape and headed toward a lifetime of obesity and other health concerns, according to dozens of studies and reports authored by local and national health groups and organizations.
One study published this winter even went as far as blaming TV for contributing to the increasing roundness of our nation’s youth.
The study from researchers at the University of Michigan Health System found that a 3-year-old exposed to two hours of TV a day was nearly three times more likely to be overweight than a child who watched fewer than two hours.
There’s plenty of blame to go around, including TV, video games, the Internet and the way technology in general has made us less active. Even something as simple and benign as the remote control has slowed us down. Imagine actually getting up and walking to the TV to turn the channel or to adjust the volume. It’s literally hard to swallow.
Well here’s some food for thought:
It’s not too late to get it turned around.
We – as a community, and specifically as parents – can do something about it.
According to Jan Crudden, executive director of the Healthy Communities Partnership of Greater Franklin County, it’s a matter of families finding the balance of the energy going in and the energy going out.