WASHINGTON, U.S.A., June 1, 2005: Obesity among children has increased at an alarming rate in the U.S. According to this news release, the nation already has 9 million children ages 6-16 who are overweight and overweight children usually grow into overweight adults, at increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, asthma and other disorders — not to mention the turmoil of being teased and left out of sports and other fun activities.
In response to these statistics, a 2.6 million dollar program called “We Can” has been instituted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. So far 35 communities have signed up to the program that offers youth and parent education programs on healthy eating and extends tips on how to fit in more physical activity in your daily life.
Previous to the We Can program, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sponsored a study that tracked 595 children, half of whom had received, along with their parents, special education classes on how to make healthier food choices. Dietitian Linda Van Horn from Northwestern University who led the study explains, “Children were taught a balance in nutrition, ‘go foods’ for every day, ‘slow foods’ for a few times a week, and ‘whoa foods’ to eat only once in a while. Unsweetened whole-grain cereal, like oatmeal, is a go-food choice. Prefer waffles or pancakes? Those are “slow foods,” perhaps for the weekend. Croissants, doughnuts or sweetened breakfast cereals are whoa foods, maybe for a holiday or vacation treat.”
Van Horn reported the following in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics, “Three years later, the kids who had attended the nutrition classes were eating more ‘go’ foods than their peers in every food group except fruit. They also ate fewer ‘whoa’ foods with one exception: pizza. And for desserts, they were more likely to pick lower-fat options like frozen yogurt. Still, neither group ate enough fruits or vegetables, and the high amount of daily snacking and pizza was stunning.”
For those who do not live in a community fortunate enough to have access to the We Can program, the government has sponsored a website for parents here that provides tips on fighting obesity.