Showing posts with label childhood obesity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label childhood obesity. Show all posts

Monday, November 3, 2008

Nation's Leading Food Manufacturers Assist in Combating Childhood Obesity


On October 6, 2008, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation announced it would be collaborating with: Campbell soup, Dannon, Kraft Foods, Mars and Pepsi to create healthier snacks for child consumption in schools. The new foods offered will be lower in calories and fat, thus giving students a first hand opportunity to actively carry out the nutrition habits they learn in the classroom.

Now that such major companies have publicly addressed the presence of childhood obesity in America as being partially a result of poor nutrition, I hope that other companies will take the step to change their products for the better. Making a company’s food products more nutritious can only have positive results, so why not make the change?

Former President Clinton said in regards to this change, “Ensuring that children have healthier food choices at school is another critical step in the fight against childhood obesity, I'm proud of these five companies for making an important statement about this health challenge and an even more important commitment to doing something about it. What we are setting in motion with these guidelines will dramatically change the kind of food that children have access to at school. It will take time, but through coalitions like this of industry and the non-profit sector, we are going to make a real difference in the lives of millions of children by helping them eat healthier and live healthier.”

Childhood Obesity



Today’s kids are the first generation predicted to live shorter lives than their parents. This sad fact is a result of childhood obesity and the many health complications that accompany it. With one in five United States children currently overweight we cannot afford to let poor eating and lifestyle habits continue to destroy young lives.

Diabetes, heart disease, asthma and high cholesterol, once illnesses found mostly in adults, are now popping up amongst children as young as eight years old. As the video below states, “A number of children are taking the same medication as their parents and their grandparents”, something that never occurred in the past. Many of these conditions can be potentially life threatening, but are easily prevented. The risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced by making simple lifestyle changes, such as incorporating physical activity and a healthy diet into your everyday lifestyle. If this is all it would take to save your child’s life, wouldn’t you make the change?