What steps need to be taken to decrease childhood obesity?

Speaking at the White House and surrounded by children, first lady Michelle Obama introduced a national effort to combat childhood obesity.

"This isn't about inches or pounds, it's about how our kids feel," she said. "There are more and more kids with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure today than ever before. Things we used to see only in adults."

"About one-third of our children are overweight or obese. None of us want that for our country," she said. "It's time to get moving."

Called the Let's Move campaign, the program focuses on what families, communities and the public and private sectors can do to help fight childhood obesity, which she and health experts have termed an epidemic in the United States. The campaign aims to take steps to reduce childhood obesity within a generation.

My question to you: What steps need to be taken to decrease childhood obesity?

full cnn article

Tags: childhood, decrease, obesity

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Permalink Reply by Kevin on February 9, 2010 at 5:18pm

It all comes down to getting rid of corn subsidies. Our food is so bad because it all has high fructose corn syrup. Heathy and affordable options must be available and kids need to be educated about them.

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Permalink Reply by Johnny Blue on February 9, 2010 at 5:30pm

Parents need to educate their children, plain and simple. Teach them that healthy foods can be delicious, and exercise is fun and rewarding. Tell them what's in junk food, the effects etc, and I bet they would think twice.

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Permalink Reply by JP Slater on February 9, 2010 at 8:23pm

Let them set pins.[Oh wait... it's all automatic now]
and they bowl in front of a TV now
They could bike to school [Oh , that is too dangerous and they might meet a pediphile]
and there's no "standard' bikes any more...They're 18 speeds or nothing. A paper route ? Nope, seniors deliver them now, from a car.
Shovel snow ? Why, when there's snow blowers and a reward or money when they're done, after all, they aren't "slaves'.
Well, you know where I'm coming from, and the proof is "in the Pudding' , so to speak.

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Permalink Reply by Inka Leoni on February 9, 2010 at 11:16pm

It's odd to see that in a country where there's obviously an obesity problem, there's also a struggle in creating good health care. It's almost like looking at a country in which many of the people have good health as the least of their wishes.

Something rigorous needs to happen, cause right now something as basic as eating is killing your people. This problem has become so broad. The consumer needs to be educated, the products being offered/marketed need to change, peoples lifestyles need to change and healthy food has got to be made available at a reasonable price.