President Obama signed a proclamation last month declaring September National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and urged Americans to promote healthy living for their children.
The Let’s Move site provides details for parents, educators and health care professionals to make eating right and exercising fun and entertaining for children.
Renowned nutritionist Rovenia “Dr. Ro” Brock is also on a mission to end obesity in the 10 fattest states in the U.S.
Last month, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its annual obesity rate report, which revealed that 35.7 percent of all American adults are obese.
By region, the South had the highest obesity rate – with several states among the top 12 that have obesity rates that exceed 30 percent of the population. The 12 are: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.
Dr. Ro, a regular nutrition coach on the Dr. Oz Show and Anderson Cooper Show and a frequent contributor to ABC and NBC and host of “Health Matters,” which appears on a number of PBS stations, has helped over 500,000 Americans lose more than 5 million pounds. The doctor is on Ebony Magazine’s ” Power 100 List” and was named by More magazine as one of the Top 5 Nutritionists in America.
The author of “Dr. Ro’s Ten Secrets To Livin’ Healthy” also is the creator of Fit Kidz, a series that empowers kids to take charge of their own health.
In the first season of the show, which is available on DVD, Captain Ro and her team of intergalactic Space Agents and Jr. Space Agents travel to Earth looking for Fit Kidz™ who can help them to save the unhealthy kids on Planet Obesia.
And she has a great challenge ahead in fighting obesity.
According to the CDC, just over 29 percent of black adolescent girls were likely to be considered obese, compared to 14.5 percent of white adolescent girls – nearly double the rate.
Studies have suggested that the current generation of young people may be the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents because of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and all the related diseases and health conditions that likely will develop because young people aren’t getting the exercise they need.
A Swiss study showed that teenagers who exercised vigorously had a better quality of sleep than those who did not. It also showed that adolescent athletes functioned better psychologically at home and at school.
Let’s Move! activities and news can be found on Facebook and Twitter, while tips for adults, as well as children, to control obesity can be found on everythingro.com.
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Click here for answers to your questions about health and obesity.
