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Obesity in kids has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The number of overweight children has doubled in the last two to three decades.
Just a decade ago, children spilled out of their homes every day after school to ride their bikes, shoot some hoops or play with friends. Today, it is uncommon to encounter such activities in area neighborhoods. According to national statistics, children are involved in more organized community activities, but they actually spend less time involved in active pursuits. Too often, they spend hours in front of the TV, playing video games or using a computer.
As a result, the most recent health epidemic in the U.S. isn’t heart disease or cancer. It is obesity. Until recently, the problem wasn’t even considered a disease. Many of its victims are children and adolescents, and the effects are devastating.
Obesity in kids has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The number of overweight children has doubled in the last two to three decades. According to the National Institutes of Health, one child in five is overweight, and the numbers are increasing.
Locally, the figures are even more alarming. Data compiled by the CDC indicate that 57 percent of all North Carolinians are either overweight or obese—up 82 percent from 1990-2002. In addition, 25 percent of youth aged 12-18 and 20 percent of children aged 5-11 are overweight or obese. Each of these statistics is significantly above the national average.
There are many causes of obesity including genetics; however, the primary factors are overeating and lack of activity. It is estimated that nearly 50 percent of children aged 8-16 years watch three to five hours of television a day. Those who watch the most hours of television also have the highest incidence of obesity.
Thankfully, this is an epidemic with a solution. Unfortunately, it isn’t a quick fix. There is no miracle medicine to address the issue. Instead, the prescription involves helping families adopt healthy lifestyles through improved nutrition and increased activity.
In 2004, FirstHealth of the Carolinas was awarded a three-year grant from the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission to implement a special program to combat childhood obesity.
Through Operation Healthy Kids, FirstHealth partners with area schools, physician offices and communities to promote awareness and provide education about the dangers of childhood obesity as well as appropriate methods of management and prevention. The overall goal of Operation Healthy Kids is to increase healthy eating habits and physical activity among children and improve parents’ knowledge of nutrition and exercise as it relates to good health.
Although the grant period is three years, the strategies implemented through the project are sustainable and will continue to impact children and families well beyond 2007.
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