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The growing problem
of childhood obesity was the topic Monday at a conference in Lake
Placid hosted by Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand.
Doctors,
nutritionists, health care providers, teachers and summer camp
directors were among those on hand to discuss the problem, its
warning signs and ways to improve child nutrition and physical
activity.
Gillibrand said the
rate of childhood obesity has grown from four percent in the
mid-1960’s to eighteen percent today. Some 25 million children in
the country are considered obese.
Overcoming the
problem requires keeping kids healthy through a variety of
approaches, Gillibrand said.
“We need to make sure
our kids have more fruits and vegetables, more whole foods, less
fast foods and less snacks sitting in front of the TV,” she said.
“We also need to work on their physical activity – getting them
outside, getting them to play sports, having them enjoy physical
activity.”
Gillibrand said it’s
not just a health issue – it’s also a financial issue. The U.S.
Surgeon General has reported that childhood obesity costs
approximately $117 billion a year.
“The increase of
childhood obesity is really putting a huge pressure on our health
care system because if you’re obese as a child you’ll be obese as an
adult,” Gillibrand said. “An obviously chronic disease like
diabetes is increasing and is one of the greatest costs to our
health care system. So we as a community need to address it because
it’s a huge strain. We as parents need to address it because we
want our kids to be happy and healthy.”
Monday’s conference
featured a keynote speech by New York’s First Lady, Michelle Paige
Paterson.
An executive
at the Health Insurance Plan of New York,
Paterson said protecting the health of the state’s children is her
top priority as first lady.
She said schools have
to play an important part in the effort to prevent child obesity and
unveiled a new statewide program for middle schoolers based on a
fitness challenge she created in Harlem.
“Healthy Steps to
Albany” challenges middle school classrooms to walk four million
steps, roughly the distance from New York to Albany, over a six week
period. “The Healthy Steps to Albany program is unique because it
challenges students to think about ways they can increase their
daily activity. Small, everyday activities such as biking to school
in the morning, taking a karate class after school or going for a
family walk after dinner add up to help the classroom get their
steps to Albany.”
Other speakers
discussed opportunities to secure grant funding for the purchase of
exercise equipment, ways to improve child nutrition in school and at
home, and programs and tools that are available for parents to keep
their children healthy.
Congresswoman
Gillibrand said the conference was held in the North Country because
of the region’s many opportunities for recreation – from the Olympic
sports of Lake Placid to outdoor activities like hiking, fishing and
canoeing.
Local tourism and
economic development officials also took part in the event,
discussing ways to further promote healthy living tourism in the
Adirondacks.
“If we’re going to
tackle childhood obesity in this state, lets make the North Country
part of the solution,” Gillibrand said. “Lets promote physical
activity among kids and families right here, increase our
investments in tourism and activities for kids. I think it’s a
win-win for the North Country and our families.”
Monday’s conference
was held at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Lake Placid.
-Chris Knight,
8-19-08
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