September is Childhood Obesity Month

We recently attended the National Community Garden Association Conference at which this year’s theme was Childhood Obesity. It was alarming to hear the statistics on this growing epidemic.

From the Healthier Kids, Brighter Futures Website:

In the past four decades, obesity rates in the United States have soared among all age groups. This rise in obesity rates has affected our youth in alarming fashion. Childhood obesity has increased more than fourfold among those ages 6 to 11. Over 23 million children and teenagers in the United States ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that health and medical experts consider an epidemic. On March 26, 2010, a resolution was unanimously passed in the Senate to designate September 2010 as “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month”, bringing national attention to a growing epidemic among youth in the United States.

.One of things we are doing in Decatur is the Safe Routes to School Program which encourages children to walk or ride their bikes to school. A little bit of physical exercise daily can help to combat obesity and protect the health of our children. What can you do? Be aware of our children on their way to and from school and slow down. Watch for them in the crosswalks and be patient with them as they learn to ride their bikes and obey the rules of the road.

For information on things you can do as an individual, click here. Let’s all work together to keep our children healthy and happy!