On Tuesday, February 9, Obama formally introduced the Let’s Move campaign, aiming to reduce obesity in the United States in all ages, beginning with our current generation.
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child’s health and wellbeing. Due to the rising spread of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects, President Barack Obama refers to this new epidemic as “the most urgent health issue we face in our country.”
“We all know the numbers,” First Lady Michelle Obama said in an interview with ABC News. “I mean, one in three kids are overweight or obese, and we’re spending $150 billion a year treating obesity-related illnesses.”
Although obesity isn’t just an issue in America alone, Obama hopes to target the issue in tackling obesity – starting with children. While obesity can be covered from a variety of different angles, it’s ultimately comes down to a debate on being ‘overweight’ versus ‘obese.’
“Under the Center for Disease Control guidelines,” CHS nurse Dede Coughlin said, “they give you a snapshot on whether or not you’re healthy based on weight, height, and age.”
Specifically, under their classifications, a person can be considered overweight if they’re anywhere between the 85th and 94th percentile of their average body mass index (BMI); or obese if they’re in the 95th percentile or higher.
After a recent wake-up call from her family’s own pediatrician, Obama immediately took action in telling America that even her own children suffer from bad nutrition habits.
“Obesity is the result of two things that go together,” Coughlin said. “Both eating the wrong kinds of foods, that include sugar and carbohydrates, and the reduction our country has seen as a whole in the amount of time spent on physical activities.”
Coughlin also believes that childhood obesity is the result of both the parent and children’s actions.
“I think when children are younger, their parents have full control over what they’re eating,” Coughlin said. “If parents don’t eat right, then their children won’t eat right. As they get older, though, kids have the ability to eat healthier, they just choose not to.”
Obama admitted she was shocked to hear of her own children’s body mass index, although she had previously felt she was taking the appropriate measures to ensure good exercise and eating habits.
“Eating right means there is only an intake of good calories,” Coughlin said, “no empty calories.”
Obama emphasizes that even these small changes can make a big difference. Her efforts show her motivation to focus on what families, communities, and the public and private sectors can do to help this recently termed epidemic.
Furthermore, the Obama administration hopes to fight and prevent future cases of obesity by teaming up with several government agencies, putting healthier food choices in schools, and assuring that children are getting enough exercise.
“A calorie is a calorie,” Coughlin said. “Whether it’s good or bad, this is what makes up our weight. We need good calories and Obama is trying to make sure that we get them in any ways we can.”
In fact, as seen in most schools, students eat two meals a day: breakfast and lunch.
“We want students to have better lunch options to show them the right things to eat and give them those things to make them healthier,” Coughlin said.
The first lady later adds, in the ABC interview that “President Obama also plans to reauthorize the Children Nutrition Act and is proposing a $10 billion budget increase – $1 billion a year for 10 years – to provide nutritious school lunches to those who qualify.”
As for the communities and families dealing with the issue of obesity on a regular basis, Obama and his administration believe that to be successful, there must also be an increase in demand for healthier foods.
“To help prevent childhood obesity,” Coughlin adds, “parents need to get their kids away from TV and videogames and outside – whether it be for walking, running, and even biking.”
Coughlin gives her own facts on the raging issue of obesity in children.
“Since the 1960s, the average calorie intake of children has only increased by one percent, but the average amount of time spent exercising has dropped down 16 percent.”
Still, while the president and our First Lady do their part, studies of child obesity are increasing and the fate of our future generations lay in the hands of not only the Federal Government, but in families and communities as well.
“About one-third of our children are overweight or obese,” Obama said. “None of us want that for our country. It’s time to get moving!”