President Obama made the changes official in an executive order on Tuesday. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, introduced the new leaders and members of the council at an event today at the Bell Multicultural High School in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of northwest Washington.
“The Council will play an important role in our effort to help combat childhood obesity in this country and I am grateful to the athletes, chefs, doctors and nutrition experts who are volunteering their time on the Council to help make a difference,” said Mrs. Obama, who has begun a nationwide program called “Let’s Move” whose goal is eliminating childhood obesity within a generation.
The childhood obesity statistics reveal the stunning fact that almost 60% of children in America are obese children. The rate of overweight children in America is increasing rapidly. The obesity statistics of 2002 stated that 22% of US preschoolers were overweight. Then, you can imagine how big the problem would be right now.
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Childhood obesity studies also reveal the fact that 40% of obese children and 70% of obese adolescents become obese adults. Indeed, by the time an obese child turns six years old, his/her chance of becoming an obese adult is over 50%.
Latest Statistics of Childhood Obesity in America:
-Obese children have 70 percent chances of remaining obese even in their adulthood.
-The rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years.
-The prevalence of obesity among children belonging to the age group of 6-11 years has raised from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent, in the year 2008.
-In adolescents belonging to the age group 12-19 years, the prevalence has raised from 5.0 percent to 18.1 percent.
-70 percent obese youth belonging to the age group of 5-17 years has at least one risk factor of heart disease.
-Heart diseases, Stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, Breast Cancer, Sleep apnea, Bone and Joint Problems, Mental disorder like Depression and poor self esteem are couple of the risk factors associated with childhood obesity.
-The United States government declared Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes as national epidemic last year.
[pagebreak]Combine these statistics with a subpar education and you have a nation of children who can’t compete with their global counterparts.
What to do? Here are some tips to get our youth healthy and back in action.
1) Eat the right food and do regular exercise.
Parents get the junk food out of the house and get active! 30 min of activity per day for chindren and 60 for adults.
2) Avoid
