Michelle Obama warns of childhood obesity

Michelle Obama

Obesity is a concern round the world - especially in children, but in America, unless something is done to reduce childhood obesity, America's children are on course to live shorter lives than their parents.

Two-thirds of US adults and nearly one in three children are overweight or obese - a condition that increases their risk for diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

Yesterday, at an event at a YMCA in Alexandria - as she prepares to formally launch a national campaign against childhood obesity in the next several weeks - the first lady Michelle Obama spoke about the announcement. "Obesity in this country is nothing less than a public health crisis," she warned.

"It's threatening our children, it's threatening our families and, more importantly, it's threatening the future of this nation."

As many as one in three children are overweight or obese, according to a report US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin released.

Georgia

A state which is causing major concern, is Georgia. In terms of ranking, the state ranks number three in childhood obesity. Their ranking is just behind that of Mississippi and Arkansas, according to the report last year from Trust for Americas Health.

Their report found that more than 37 percent of Georgians aged 10-17 are obese.

At Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Dr. Mark Wulkan sees the problem firsthand. As the hospital's chief surgeon, he oversees gastric bypasses, lap band procedures and other surgeries on obese children.

"We do one or two a month [...] but in reality, I could do a few of these every week," said Wulkan to Atlanta Journal Constitution. "Is a problem that's been growing since at least the 1990s, to where it now truly is a crisis."

Campaign

Mrs. Obama's campaign against childhood obesity is one close to her own heart after her pediatrician warned that her two daughters' body mass indexes were "getting off-balance," she said she started making subtle changes in their diet - replacing sugary drinks with water, reducing portion sizes, cutting back on burgers.

"Small changes can lead to big results," she said.

Although Mrs. Obama hasn't given exact details of her campaign yet, the surgeon general's report recommendations include:

• Requiring students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12 to take physical education.

• Requiring child care providers to offer at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

• Requiring schools to develop comprehensive wellness plans that include policies to offer kids more nutritious lunches.

Many schools have reduced physical education classes, recess and other activities because of budget cuts. At the same time, the recession has caused many cash-strapped families to forgo healthier foods in favor of cheaper, less nutritious meals, Mrs. Obama said.

But Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius cautioned that not addressing childhood obesity now will cost the country in the future.

Citing figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Sebelius said the US now spends about $1 of every $10 in healthcare dollars treating obesity-related problems - twice what it spent on such problems in 1998. Each year, she said, the country spends nearly $150 billion on obesity-related health issues - more than it spends on treating cancer.

"The unhealthier we are as a nation, the more our healthcare costs will continue to rise, and the less competitive we will be globally," Sebelius said.

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