Reversing Childhood Obesity
Trends
Being overweight is a serious nutrition-related
condition in the United States. Why? Because
most methods for achieving weight loss are
unsuccessful over time, and there are fewer
opportunities in daily life to burn calories.
Prevention continues to be the most viable
option for controlling overweight. But reversing
the trends requires changes in individual
and family behavior regarding food intake,
physical activity, and eliminating societal
barriers to healthy choices.
The mission of the project called Reversing
Childhood Obesity Trends: Helping Children
Achieve Healthy Weights is to reduce
the prevalence of childhood obesity across
the nation through integrating research,
education, and innovative approaches to
help children achieve healthy weights.
CSREES works with the Cooperative Extension
System (CES) to deliver nutrition education
programs to the general public, promoting
healthy eating patterns and leading physically
active lifestyles. Because of the CES mission
and its extensive capacity to deliver science-based
nutrition and health education to individuals
and families, CES is an excellent community
resource to help families achieve healthy
lifestyles. Already these activities exist
within the System through 4-H and school
involvement.
To accomplish the project's goals, two related
strategies were developed for implementation
of the proposed CES Childhood Obesity Initiative.
The two strategies and their respective action
steps include:
- Provide high-quality, science-based education
that increases knowledge, improves attitudes,
and builds skills directed at reducing
the prevalence of childhood obesity.
- Organize coalitions and networks to create
environments that support enjoyable, healthful
eating, physical activity, and a positive
self-image.
CSREES and the Cooperative Extension System
will continue to promote lifelong healthy
eating patterns and physically active lifestyles
to our nation's children and their families.
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