Obesity in Children is Threat to Health and Economy

San Francisco Chronicle reported the following article.  The article highlights how crucial it is to address the obesity epidemic in children and adults in the United Stated. Obesity in children is a threat to health and the economy

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Former President Bill Clinton  says there are economic and humanitarian reasons to combat childhood obesity

Clinton spoke in Little Rock on Sunday at a national forum on childhood obesity and said staying healthy would help Americans have more money in their pockets.

Clinton says U.S. residents spend almost 18 percent of their income on health care and that making healthy choices would drive that number down.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that obesity rates in children have nearly tripled since 1980, with more than 20 percent obese and more than one-third of children overweight.

Clinton’s foundation and the American Heart Association  founded the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which in 2006 launched the Healthy Schools Program to provide training and educational resources to schools.

There is a genuine and serious concern among the health care community that childhood obesity is creating a generation of children that will not live as long as their parents. Obesity in childhood sets children up for a host of chronic diseases that will plague them and ultimately shorten their lives. These include, diabetes, heart issues, blood pressure issues and cancer. Unhealthy children grow into unhealthy adults who cannot contribute to the economy and drain resources of their communities and their families.

Starting in childhood is crucial to addressing the obesity epidemic. Even children can benefit from a healthy eating program like the Body By Vi Challenge, adjusted for children.

via Posterize