Blog Post 5
With obesity levels on the rise, what is being done to help prevent it...and reverse it? There are many programs and policy changes that are being created to help combat obesity, most specifically targeting children. If we can keep our kids living healthy lifestyles, they are more likely to stay healthy and fit past their adolescence and help our country become a, well, thinner nation.
Michelle Obama has created a program called "Let's Move." The "Let's Move" campaign is a community oriented program that aims to educate parents and kids alike on the various factors that lead to obesity. It helps schools, families and communicate know the tools that help in creating better diets and a more active lifestyle (Move, 2010). Under the website's Eat Healthy tab, it reiterates the importance of a healthy food pyramid and allows moms and kids to print out their own food pyramid and plan their next week's meals accordingly. "Let's Move" has also created a program called the HealthierUS Schools Challenge Program. Teaming up with many of the nation's schools, the program helps to create a meal plan with decreased levels of sugar, more whole grains, and double the amount of produce served to the students. "Let's Move" also provides families and schools a list of physical activities that they can do in their spare time. Some things as simple as taking a family walk after dinner (Move, 2010).
Another program that will continue to be implemented upon Jerry Brown's entrance as California's governor is the Governor's Fitness Challenge. Starting in 2006, the program had only 10,000 student participants, but the last numbers in 2010 had reached over 1.3 million. The Governor's Fitness Challenge is a challenge posed to students across the state t be active for 30 to 60 minutes a day for three days a week. Since the initial start of the program, the schools that have adopted it have reported an increase in student attendance, more alert and engaged students, and higher test scores (Steinfeld, 2010). The program has also teamed up with major companies such as Coca-Cola, 24-Hour Fitness and Kaiser Permanente to provide these schools with the tools they need to achieve success. Things such as physical fitness centers and advertising materials aimed at a healthier and more active lifestyle (Steinfeld, 2010).
The video above shows one high schools new XArcade, a $50,000 "arcade" that combines the XBOX gaming console with games that promote physical activity. Paid for by sponsors of the Governor's Fitness Challenge.
There are plenty of other programs out there similar to the one's that were mentioned here. One can visit the "Let's Move" website or any other program that not only encourages this country's youth to eat healthy and stay active, but may even help with tips on how to gain sponsors who will assist in creating new physical activity programs or dietary plans in the cafeterias. Obesity often starts at a young age, the prevalence rate is reversible.
References:
Obama, M. Let's Move. 2010. Retrieved from the Let's Move Website: http://www.letsmove.gov
Steinfeld, J. "Don't Quit on our Kids." The Vacaville Reporter 5 Dec 2010. C1. Print.
It is interesting to think that the fun things that are supposed to be naturally fun and are passed up for activities that are sedentary. I think environment has a lot to do with it. if one grows up in the woods like i did, there's plenty to do and spaces to go without disturbing others. the city is different... if exercising in an apt is heard, it may be mistaken for domestic violence with the police called!
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