Curbing Childhood Obesity

My new job as a pharmaceutical sales specialist has really opened my eyes to the health care crisis and the obesity epidemic. I really wish there was a clear cut, effective way to prevent all kids from struggling with weight gain that will later lead to heart disease and diabetes. Teaching kids about nutrition and exercise at a young age seems to be the best option right now. I wish it were more effective. I feel like either 1. kids are not educated on how to be healthy or 2. kids aren't listening. It may be a combination of both. It's too bad. It is scary.

FROM CNN: Teaching middle school students about nutrition and exercise appears to reap healthy rewards.

The program designed at the university of Michigan instructed almost 600 kids on making healthy diet choices, getting 150 minutes of exercise a week and cutting T.V. and computer time.

Four years later, students had lowered their average cholesterol, reduced their resting heart rates and most continued to make health-conscious decisions.

Researchers say programs like this could have a huge impact on long-term obesity rates as well as reducing diabetes and heart disease as students age.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Fast Food Causes Obesity

I don't really agree with forcing fast food restaurants to make healthier food. I think it's our choice to choose to eat there or somewhere else. However, I do think forcing fast food chains to serve healthier meals would benefit a lot of people. The new rules don't go that far. They mandate that the calorie and other contents of fast food are listed for patrons to see. That sounds like a good compromise, but it doesn't seem to be working to curb obesity. Take a look at this CNN article:

FROM CNN: Fast Food has been directly connected to higher obesity rates in the young. The recent health care law requires big fast food chains to disclose how many calories their foods have. But does the rule do young people any good? Researchers surveyed the menu selections of 349 children and adolescents eating at fast-food restaurants both before and after they listed the calorie content of their products. The young people in this study came from low-income communities in New York and Newark, New Jersey and ranged in age from one to seventeen.

The restaurants included four of the largest chains: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and KFC. The results-- published in the International Journal of Obesity-- are discouraging to those who hope calorie labeling will help stem the tide of childhood obesity. The authors say the labels had no effect on the number of calories in the kids' food choices.

While many of the adolescents noticed the calorie listings, only 9% said they considered the information when ordering. The authors note that adolescents in the survey reported their parents had some influence on their food selection-- suggesting some guidance from mom and dad could help them make healthier choices.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Fast Food banned near Schools

I registered my son for preschool today! It was so exciting and a little bitter sweet. My baby is going to a real school next year! It's hard to believe. We got to meet his new teacher and she even took him to the classroom. He seems much more excited than he was when we pulled up. We stood outside for awhile waiting for him to be comfortable.

When we drove away, I looked for a fast food restaurant-which was nowhere to be found. I was happy about that! Here's why:

FROM ABC: Local authorities closed down the first fast food restaurant in London for being located too Close to a school. New rules are going into effect in London in an attempt to fight
Childhood obesity.

The restaurant in Leytonstone, in East London, was accused of breaking new rules which ban hot food outlets near schools, parks or playgrounds. The ban also covers take-out restaurants that are within 300 yards of each other and puts a limit on total numbers of restaurants in the center of town.

The town council says they had to implement the ban to fight childhood obesity and because too many fast food joints were popping up around the community. One million British youth are expected to be obese by 2010.

Clyde Loakes from the Town Council said, "They wanted us to do something. they wanted us to specifically to say enough is enough, close these places down, come up with some policies
that will enable you to do that, and that's what we've done. we're not going to tolerate them near schools, parks, playgrounds, youth centers, for a whole range of issues, not least because we're really concerned around obesity and our young people."

Is there a fast food restaurant by your child's school? What do you think about that?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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