Making a dent in the obesity epidemic

By Sheilah Downey sheilahd foodconsumer dot org

The explosion of the childhood obesity epidemic in the United States has prompted a government report that recommends drastic changes in the way kids tend to spend their down time.

Hanging out at McDonald's and playing video games while sipping on cokes and munching on chips are lifestyle factors that have added up to alarming statistics facing today's kids: 16.3 percent of American children between the ages of two and 19 are obese.

"The prevalence of obesity is so high that it may reduce the life expectancy of today’s generation of children and diminish the overall quality of their lives," states the report released today from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.

The report urges local governments nationwide to change the "epidemic’s frontlines," the neighborhoods where kids hang out and have learned, for the most part, unhealthy lifestyles.

"Local governments play a crucial role in the fight against childhood obesity by creating environments that make it either easy or hard for children to eat healthier diets and move more," states the report. "The staggering increase in childhood obesity and the costs associated with obesity underscore the urgency for prevention efforts at the community level."

Going a step beyond the traditional "eat less, move more" quick fixes,  the report offers 10 examples of cities that have implemented healthier alternatives for kids. Some recommendations include zoning restrictions on fast-food restaurants near schools and playgrounds, limiting video games and television at after-school programs, and taxes on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and drinks that are shattering kids waistlines.

"The healthy choice must be the easy choice," said committee chair Eduardo J. Sanchez, vice president and chief medical officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. "Although leisure activities and food consumption are personal matters, local environments influence the choices people make."

Attempting to stem the tide and the evolution of obesity, say health officials, is going to be a monumental task.

"It's hard to eat fruit instead of chips or cookies when neighborhood stores carry little fresh produce," said Sanchez, "or bike to school on busy roads with no bike lanes."

The report also urges local governments to provide incentives to lure grocery stores back into underserved neighborhoods; suggests eliminating billboard ads for fast-food outlets near schools and requiring nutritional information on restaurant menus.

Examples of comprehensive obesity prevention measures include walking trails, new fitness centers, breastfeeding promotion programs and implementing a fitness index to monitor dietary and fitness goals for communities.

Some cities have started a "Safe Routes to School" program, making it easier for children to bike to school and after-school functions. The committee also recommended that city's reroute buses, in areas necessary,  to ensure people can get to grocery stores.