New website for after-school programs promotes 'Drink Right, Move More and Snack Smart' to fight childhood obesity

To combat the country's childhood obesity epidemic, ChildObesity180, a new initiative from Tufts University, has launched Healthy Kids Hub, a website with resources for out-of-school-time programs, encouraging kids to develop and adopt three universal nutrition and physical activity principles: "Drink Right, Move More and Snack Smart."

The Hub offers free activity, nutrition and equipment support to volunteers, coaches and leaders in out-of-school-time programs, which serve tens of millions of children and have been identified as a promising area for obesity prevention efforts, the site says.

In Kentucky, almost 18 percent of middle-school-age children and 16 percent of elementary-age kids are obese, says a recent report from the University of Kentucky's College of Public Health.

Research shows that foods and beverages, as well as opportunities for physical activity, vary greatly in out-of-school programs, so the Hub promotes greater consistency in such programs and provides resources to help children follow healthy habits while out of school.

The website was launched at the National Afterschool Association convention in Indianapolis last week, according to a release. Visitors to the website can complete a brief survey to get resources tailored to their specific needs. Click here for the website.

To keep kids from getting fat, use smaller plates and portions, limit TV viewing and make sure they get 10 hours of sleep a night

Kentucky ranks high in child obesity. Parents can make sure their children maintain a healthy weight with three simple suggestions highlighted in recent studies: Serve them meals on smaller, child-size plates, pay attention to what they watch on TV, and make sure they get enough sleep.

In Kentucky, almost 18 percent of middle-school-age children and 16 percent of elementary-age kids are obese, and every third child born who was in the U.S. in 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes if current trends continue, says a recent report from the University of Kentucky's College of Public Health.

The three suggestions are based on three new studies in the April issue of Pediatrics.

One study found first-graders served themselves larger food portions and consumed almost 50 percent of the extra calories they put on their plates when using adult-sized dinner plates instead of child-sized salad plates, reports Michelle Healy of USA Today.
A second study examined the relationship between heavy use of media  and increased body mass index,  a measure based on height and weight that can classify someone as being overweight or obese. It found that TV usage is the most problematic and leads to higher BMI scores, reports Healy. One reason for this may be that TV advertising includes commercials for unhealthy snack foods. Or, perhaps kids are missing out on exercise because they watch so much TV. 

A new sleep study adds to research saying that insufficient sleep may contribute to the rise in adolescent obesity because it changes hormone levels that could lead to overeating and weight gain, reports Healy.

These findings support existing recommendations to help children attain and keep a healthy weight according the UK report. Portion sizes should be a third of adult portions for younger children and two-thirds of adult portions for older children; children's TV screen time should be limited to two hours per day; and children should get 10 hours of sleep each night.

Common beliefs about obesity and weight loss found to be myths

Think going to gym class drives weight loss, or that breastfeeding protects a child from obesity? Think again, because these are among seven popular myths about obesity myths, according to an international team of researchers.

The seven popular but largely inaccurate beliefs, which lead to poor policy decisions, inaccurate public-health recommendations and wasted resources, were identified by the team led by David Allison, associate dean for science in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Here are the seven myths:

• Myth 1: Small, sustained changes in how many calories we take in or burn will accumulate to produce large weight changes over the long term.
Fact: Small changes in calorie intake or expenditure do not accumulate indefinitely. Changes in body mass eventually cancel out the change in calorie intake or burning.

• Myth 2: Setting realistic goals in obesity treatment is important. Otherwise, patients become frustrated and lose less weight.
Fact: Some data suggest that people do better with more ambitious goals.

• Myth 3: Gradually losing weight is better than quickly losing pounds. Quick weight losses are more likely to be regained.
Fact: People who lose more weight rapidly are more likely to weigh less, even after several years.

• Myth 4: Patients who feel “ready” to lose weight are more likely to make the required lifestyle changes, do health-care professionals need to measure each patient’s diet readiness.
Fact: Among those who seek weight-loss treatment, evidence suggests that assessing readiness neither predicts weight loss nor helps to make it happen.

• Myth 5: Physical-education classes, in their current form, play an important role in reducing and preventing childhood obesity.
Fact: Physical education, as typically provided, does not appear to counter obesity.

• Myth 6: Breastfeeding protects children against future obesity.
Fact: Breastfeeding has many benefits for mother and child, but the data do not show that it protects against obesity.

• Myth 7: One episode of sex can burn up to 300 Kcals per person.
Fact: It may be closer to one-twentieth of that on average, and not much more than sitting on the couch.

The research team also defined six “presumptions" that are generally held to be true even though more studies are needed before conclusions can be drawn, such as the idea that regularly eating versus skipping breakfast contributes to weight loss. Studies show it has no effect.

The same goes for the idea that eating vegetables by itself brings about weight loss, or that snacking packs on the pounds. According to Allison and colleagues, these hypotheses have not been shown to be true, and some data suggest they may be false.

The researchers also identified nine research-proven facts about weight loss. For example, weight-loss programs for overweight children that involve parents and the child’s home achieve better results than programs that take place solely in schools or other settings.

Also, many studies show that while genetic factors play a large role in obesity, “Heritability is not destiny.” Realistic changes to lifestyle and environment can, on average, bring about as much weight loss as treatment with the most effective weight-loss drugs on the market. (Read more)

Childhood obesity is linked to more immediate health problems than doctors formerly realized

While a plethora of research on childhood obesity has linked it to long-term health problems, a new UCLA study focuses on the condition's more proximate consequences, showing that obese children are at a greater risk for immediate health problems than previously thought. That's important for Kentucky, which ranks poorly in many health measures and is third highest in child obesity. (Photo by Tara Kaprowy)

"This study paints a comprehensive picture of childhood obesity, and we were surprised to see just how many conditions were associated with childhood obesity," said lead author Dr. Neal Halfon, a professor of pediatrics, public health and public policy at UCLA.

Compared to kids who are not overweight, the study found that obese children have nearly twice the risk of having three or more reported medical, mental or developmental conditions. Specific medical conditions included bone, joint and muscle problems; asthma; allergies; headaches; and ear infections. Obese children also reported a greater tendency toward emotional and behavioral problems, higher rates of grade repetition, missed school days and other school problems, ADHD, conduct disorder, depression, learning disabilities, and developmental delays.

The study provides the first comprehensive national profile of associations between weight status and a broad set of associated health conditions, a UCLA release said. Halfon said these findings should serve as a wake-up call to physicians, parents and teachers, who should be better informed of the risk for health conditions associated with childhood obesity. (Read more)

Many Ky. parents don't realize children are overweight, or won't acknowledge it, but many report kids' poor health behavior

By Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

Many Kentucky parents don't realize that their children are obese or overweight, or at least aren't willing to acknowledge it. That is the obvious conclusion to draw from the latest results of the Kentucky Parent Survey, released Tuesday by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

The poll found that only 14 percent of Kentucky parents say their child weighs too much, but the National Survey of Children's Health found that 37 percent of Kentucky children are overweight or obese. Conversely, 76 percent of parents in the poll think their child's weight is about right, but the national survey found that only 58 percent of Kentucky kids have healthy weight.

The Kentucky Parent survey, taken by land-line and cell telephone from July 19 to Aug. 22 by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia, interviewed 1,006 Kentucky parents, step-parents, grandparents, foster parents or other legal guardians of children in Kentucky selected at random. The statistical margin of error for that sample size is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The poll also found that 56 percent of Kentucky children are watching more than the maximum daily recommended amount of “screen time” – watching television, playing video games or using the Internet – and that 59 percent drink sugar-sweetened beverages every day. Both are major factors in childhood obesity, research has found, and experts recommend no more than two hours of screen time a day and no sugar-sweetened drinks at all.

“Parents can help reduce this risk by encouraging healthy behaviors for their children,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.“Our children’s habits and behaviors impact their health today and shape their quality of life as they grow. When kids eat poorly and don’t get enough physical activity, it increases their risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases. This poll data helps us understand what parents think about the behaviors that are so critical to health.”

The Kentucky Parent Survey also found that only 56 percent of Kentucky parents said their child got "enough" fruits and vegetables every day during the preceding week, and 66 percent of parents reported their child got "enough" physical activity every day during the preceding week. It also found that elementary and high-school students often get less than the recommended amount of sleep per day (chart).

The survey did not define "enough." The foundation noted that one strategy to reduce childhood obesity in Kentucky is "5-2-1-0," reflecting experts' recommendations that each day, children should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, have no more than two hours of screen time, engage in one hour of physical activity, and drink zero sugar-sweetened beverages. For the foundation's press release, click here.

Kentucky parents' overall perception of Kentucky children's health doesn't match the statistics, foundation survey finds

Many Kentucky parents' perception of their children's health doesn't match statistics, suggesting that many health problems are going undetected or untreated.

That is the upshot of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's first Kentucky Parent Survey, conducted by the University of Virginia's Center for Survey Research this summer and released today.

Only 4 percent of Kentucky parents said a health professional had told them their child was obese, but the National Survey of Children's Health in 2007 found that almost 37 percent of Kentucky children were obese.

Just 5 percent of Kentucky parents said they had been told that their child had depression or anxiety, but about 25 percent of children 13 to 18 will have struggled with anxiety and 11 percent will have battled depression, according to a 2010 national study. And a recent study found that Kentucky teens were more likely than the national average to have attempted suicide.

About 17 percent of Kentucky parents reported that their child had decayed teeth or cavities, but a national survey of third graders in 2001-02 revealed that 35 percent had untreated dental issues.

Only 3 percent of parents said their child was diagnosed with a hearing problem, but 15 percent of children nationally have measurable hearing loss. And 14 percent reported being told their child had a vision problem, but about one in four preschoolers nationally have vision issues.

Parents also seem not to get enough advice from health care providers about how to treat their children's health issues, even though there are high rates of children suffering from tooth decay, vision problems, asthma, ADHD, depression/anxiety, obesity, hearing impairment and diabetes, the survey found.

While 92 percent of parents said their child had a regular doctor, just 80 percent said their child had a regular dental care provider. And a 74 percent majority of parents surveyed said they were always encouraged by their child's healthcare provider to ask questions during visits. "The exceptions are worth noting," said Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. "If three in four parents said their child's provider always encouraged questions, this means that one in four were not always encouraged to ask questions." (Read more)

Canadian study suggests children in day care are more likely to be obese than those cared for by their parents

Children who attend day care regularly are 50 percent more likely to be overweight than those who stay home with parents, according to a new University of Montreal study in Quebec. Lead researcher Marie-Claude Geoffroy said the disparity "cannot be explained by known risk factors such as socioeconomic status of the parents, breastfeeding, body mass index of the mother, or employment status of the mother."

Researchers studied more than 1,600 families with children born in 1997 and 1998 in Quebec, a sample that was representative of the majority of kids in the province. Mothers were interviewed about their children's care at ages 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4. Children were put into groups based on the type of care they received most. Researchers concluded that 65 percent of children spent most of their time in day care. Just 19 percent were cared for mostly by a parent.

Researchers found no clear explanation for the weight disparities, but they argued that day care has the potential to reduce weight problems in children through promotion of physical activity and healthy eating. (Read more)

Kentucky teens attempt suicide more often than those in all U.S.

In a 2011 update of a study done four years ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) surveyed America's teenagers about their physical health and potentially risky behaviors. Broken down state-by-state, the study presents a picture of what ails us, if we are willing to pay attention.

In Kentucky, the numbers read as not terribly surprising. Our kids are a little more fat than the national average. They smoke and chew more tobacco. They have a little more sex while in high school. But one statistic is startling: Kentucky's teenagers are trying to kill themselves more frequently than other teenagers nationwide.

According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month, 11 percent of Kentucky youth have attempted suicide, compared to 8 percent nationally. Moreover, 5 percent of Kentucky's teenagers have had a suicide attempt result in an injury, poisoning or overdose that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse during the 12-month period before the survey was conducted. That compares to only 2 percent nationwide for kids responding who required the same treatment during the same duration.

If there is good news for Kentucky in the survey, it's this: The state's teenagers are in reasonably good health, but are not getting the physical exercise that the rest of the nation's teens are getting (39 percent vs. 49 percent) and they are playing fewer team sports (46 percent vs. 58 percent). They are heavier (16 percent vs. 13 percent) than the average American teen and more likely (36 percent to 28 percent) to drink a can, bottle or glass of soda or pop one or more times a day.

They are less likely to have never tried smoking (41 percent  to 55 percent) than other American teens, to have smoked on a least one day of the last 30 (24 percent to 18 percent), bought their own cigarettes (21 percent to 14 percent) and used chewing tobacco (17 percent to 8 percent). Eight percent of Kentucky teenagers report using pain relievers for non-medical reasons in the last 12 months. That's a bit higher than the national average of 6 percent of U.S. teens who report doing the same.

Kentucky's teenagers are also a bit more likely to have had sexual intercourse while in high school (52 to 47 percent) than the national average, more likely to carried a weapon on a least one day (23 percent o 17 percent), carried a gun (9 percent to 5 percent), though less likely to have been in a physical fight (29 to 33 percent).

To find each of these topics, go here. Look for the heading (physical health, mental health, substance abuse, healthy relationships), then go to the Kentucky site page. A more complete data picture will emerge.

Testing out new school lunch guidelines yields unhappy customers, more trash and an effort to undo the mandate

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, the Obama administration's effort to mandate more fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains into the diets of school children, has some uphill climbing to do and it's not just the kids who are complaining. Though, admittedly, they were the first. Sarah Gonzales of Agri-Pulse took a look at some rural school districts trying to implement the law in advance of the law's implementation deadline, to see how the new science-based standards were working in real lunchrooms. What she found were complaints from student athletes who thought they needed more calories and more options, and substantial increases of good food thrown in the garbage. They also got this parody of "The Hunger Games" from some ingenious Kansas kids:



Dawn Matthews, director of food service for the rural Camdenton school district in Missouri, serves 3,200 school lunches every school day to kids in every grade level from K-12. The new standards, drawn from recommendations from an independent panel of doctors, nutritionists and other experts, require better nutrition and allow schools to serve between 550-650 calories for students in K-5, 600-700 calories of students for 6th through 8th grades, and 750-850 for high school lunches. Agri-Pulse reporters explain that a daily lunch costs $2.10, but almost 60 percent of the meals are offered for free for a reduced price in this rural district. Matthews notes that participation in the program is dropping with the new menu in place.

Even before the deadline for the act to be put into effect, Gonzales notes, Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kans., and Steve King, R-Iowa, introduced the No Hungry Kids Act last month to repeal the new school guidelines. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture also issued a recent policy statement saying the initial law was "well-intentioned, but falls short of providing a comprehensive policy for educating students in healthy living."

The results of the first few months of trial -- especially the waste -- have been "disheartening," said food director Matthews. It is also early. "I think it's going to evolve over time," said the chairman of Florida's Lake County School Board, Roseanne Brandeburg. "If you're in elementary school, and this is what you're going to be served, you're going to get used to it."

Agri-Pulse is subscription-only, but free trials are offered on its website.

Child obesity is a complex problem, intimidating to those who are fighting it (last in a series)

Dr. Christopher Bolling prepares to see a patient.

By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

Nearly every weekday, pediatrician Christopher Bolling starts his day by scooping up his lap top and stepping into one of his cheerfully-appointed exam rooms. After greeting his young patients, who are generally passing the time by playing games on their parents' cell phones, Bolling begins his examinations. During his 21 years of practice, those exams have increasingly ended with Bolling counseling parents about their children's weight.

"I tell them I'm not worried about this as a cosmetic issue, I'm worried about this as a health issue," he said in an interview. "This isn't about your child being ugly or undesirable, we talk about them being healthy and not healthy."

But, though dedicated to his cause, Bolling, of Crestview Hills in Kenton County, said he is keenly aware that his counseling is not nearly enough to help his patients overcome the weight that is impeding their health. "What makes this problem unique is it is so multifactorial, there are so many pieces to it," he said. "It's food, it's activity, it's portion size, it's fruit and vegetables, it's screen time and safety. And it makes it really intimidating to know what to do with it."

"We're swimming upstream in a flooded river," agreed Debra Cotterill, director of the Nutrition Education Program at the University of Kentucky. "Even for people who know it, it's still hard. Weight is an issue I have to address every single day of my life and I understand how it is for people. You're talking about change of behaviors."

It's like smoking, but it's different

But a sweeping change in behavior is going to be what it takes to turn the tide of the obesity epidemic, experts say, and that is one reason fighting obesity is often likened to the battle against smoking. The fact that it is just as, if not more, deadly is another parallel, as is the fact that it is just as, if not more, far-reaching.

But there are key differences in battling the two problems, Judith Graham noted in a story for Kaiser Health News. First, other than an increase in health-care costs, there is no compelling argument that implies that another person's weight adversely affects others, like second-hand smoking does for smoking, or drunk driving does for drinking to excess. "The notion that my behavior as a smoker can have an effect on you and can make you sick was critically important in accelerating people's intolerance of smoking and their willingness to see the government take action," Michael Ericksen, director of the Institute of Public Health at Georgia State University, told Graham.

Compounding the issue is there is nearly no end to the variety of food that can contribute to the problem. Unlike Big Tobacco, the food industry also cannot be demonized as easily, Graham points out. But most importantly, "unlike alcohol and tobacco, you can't go cold turkey on food," Bolling said. "You have to keep eating."

But if there is consensus on how to approach the issue, it is to take a lesson from the battle against smoking, which is to focus on changing the environment that encourages bad habits. "It's about changing our culture," explained Elaine Russell, Kentucky's obesity prevention coordinator. "We need an environment where the healthy choice is the easy choice."

That involves policy change, setting up systems that support the policy changes, and environmental change, Russell said, all of which have to happen together. "There's no one solution that's going to do it," she said. "If we embed it in our policies, but we don't embed it into our environment, how do we make the healthier choice? If we just educate people but we don't provide them with a healthy environment, then how do they make those healthy choices? We could do an educational campaign at our worksite, but if we have unhealthy vending machines there, how can you make the changes?"

Local action is needed

Russell said change needs to happen at the local level, since every community has different needs and "starts with high-level partners really being engaged," she said. "We need to pull together those leaders and ask them what the highest priority is, ask them what feasibly can be done and start checking them off."

Some of those changes can be as easy as placing bananas and apples at the front of the pool concession stand so children see them first, as they did in Lexington. The same is being done in school cafeteria lines. But others cost money that communities don't necessarily have, as the Healthy Children's Task Force learned in Laurel County when trying to assess students' body-mass index, a rough measure of fat to weight.

In 2005, the task force started collecting BMIs of a select group of children in kindergarten to see where the county stood. It found 37 percent were either overweight or obese, and quickly decided the goal should be to bring that number down to 31 percent, the statewide average at the time. Using a grant from the parent company of the local hospital, they talked to parents, hired gym teachers, had schools incorporate 10 minutes of physical activity in the classroom periodically during the day, talked to kids about nutrition, and got them to cook and sample fruit and vegetables from a mobile demonstration kitchen.

The overweight rates of the children, who were repeatedly assessed each year, did decrease by the targeted 6 percent, but when funding ran out, the program faltered. For a few years, part of the effort was restored, but the task force has disbanded. "You get real gung-ho on it and something else comes along," said school nurse Duff Holcomb, who led the effort. "It makes me feel terribly guilty, but that is just the way it is. We proved what works."

After a recent analysis showed 12 states, including Kentucky, have adult obesity levels over 30 percent, Jeffrey Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health, acknowledged the financial problem: "We're not investing anywhere near what we need to in order to bend the obesity curve and see the returns in health and savings."

(Photos by Tara Kaprowy)

More regulation is one option, a move that is generally cheap in cost but can be politically expensive. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is learning that, after proposing a ban in New York City on the sale of supersize sodas and other sugary drinks by restaurants, movie theaters and street carts. Residents are deeply divided on the issue — 60 percent oppose the ban — and critics have lambasted Bloomberg, accusing him of running a "nanny state."

But limiting food and drink choices may have an effect on people's health, a recent study indicates. The removal of trans fats from many processed and fast foods like French fries and cookies probably reduced the proportion of kids with high cholesterol in the past decade, researchers think.

More regulation, particularly in how food is marketed to children, is what Josh Golin, associate director for the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, would like to see. "We can't rely on the companies to self-regulate or develop their own policies," he said. "We see a lot of self-serving regulations that vary from company to company. What we really need is to level the playing field and make the rules enforceable."

In addition, Bolling suggested "there are several organizations that advocate that we could make a big impact on childhood obesity by placing an excise tax on sodas." A report by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University indicated that a 10 percent tax on soft drinks would result in about an 8 percent reduction in consumption. Studies on alcohol and tobacco taxes indicate similar findings. A Rudd Center calculator shows a 1-cent tax on each ounce of sugar-sweetened beverages sold in Kentucky could result in nearly $200 million in revenue for the state.

Whether regulation or investing more money in the problem are part of the solution, Bolling said solving the problem will take time and a variety of efforts. "We have to solve everything together," he said. "It's about personal responsibility, but it's also about supportive families, it's about primary care medical people knowing what to say to their patients, it's about workplaces and schools creating good environments and it's communities providing opportunities to be healthy. I think we're going to turn the tide. We've done it before with seat belts, with bicycle helmets, with smoking. While this problem is complicated, we already see people really waking up to it."

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

Kentucky students will get extra education in nutrition, exercise

Kentucky children will get extra nutrition education at school starting Oct. 1, thanks to a $6 million federal grant intended to instill better eating and physical-activity habits in families eligible for food stamps.

The education will be provided by local health departments. It will encourage students to:
• Fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables; drink fat-free or low-fat milk; and make sure they eat whole grains.
• Increase physical activity and cut down on sedentary behaviors.
• Consume the appropriate amount of calories for their age.

Kentucky students will get more nutrition education
aimed at getting those eligible for the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program to make healthy food
choices. (Photo from The Lane Report)

Details about how many children will benefit from the education and how many minutes of instruction they will receive per week have not yet been ironed out, said Beth Fisher, spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

"Sometimes children can be the best teachers, so our hope is that they will pass on to their parents some of what they have learned at school about the importance of nutrition and physical activity," said Teresa James, acting commissioner of the Department of Community Based Services. "If children ask their parents to serve more fruits and vegetables, or take a walk instead of watching TV and the parents comply, this effort can benefit the entire household — just look at the influence children have had on recycling." (Read more)

KET program will focus on children's health this Sunday

A discussion about the problems Kentucky families and children face on a daily basis will be at the heart of this week's "One to One" with Bill Goodman on KET.

Dr. Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, will be speaking about the 2012 legislative session. The program airs Sunday at 1 p.m. EST and Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST.

KYA has been busy as of late, holding KIDS COUNT conversations in different parts of the state. A recent conversation in Hardin County painted a picture of the health status in the area as well as pointed out which public policies are in place to improve children's health. The conversation turned to topics like childhood obesity, oral health, health insurance, physical activity and birth-related indicators and outcomes like smoking during pregnancy and low-weight births.

The conversations are held in different counties about four times a year. Last week, there was another KIDS COUNT conversation in Jefferson County.

"We try to cover topics across the child's lifespan," said Amy Swann, KIDS COUNT coordinator. "We're touching on infants, touching on issues when they're still in utero, we're touching on school-age stuff, touching on teens."

Bipartisan report from ex-secretaries of health and agriculture makes 26 recommendations for fighting obesity epidemic

Four former secretaries of heath and agriculture and the Bipartisan Policy Center have released a lengthy report aimed at the nation's obesity epidemic. With 26 recommendations, the report promotes public and private sectors working together to create healthy families, schools, workplaces and communities.

The report, called "Lots to Lose," recommends extending federal guidelines for diet and physical activity to all children under 6 years old, along with offering more support to promote breastfeeding. "Learning to be active and staying active is a critical piece of the puzzle," said Republican Mike Leavitt, former secretary of health and human services and former governor of Utah. "Government has a role to play, but it is not the answer."

"If you think this is fluffy stuff about diet and exercise or about creating a nanny state you are wrong," said Dan Glickman, who was a Democratic congressman from Kansas and agriculture secretary under Bill Clinton. "Americans like silver bullets to solve problems. This one requires silver buckshot."

Former agriculture secretary Ann Veneman, a Republican who served under George W. Bush, spoke of the importance of good nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child's life. "Improving health outcomes early in life is a critical element in helping to shift our current health care system toward prevention," she said.

Democrat Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami and health secretary under Clinton, also participated. While The Washington Post's Janice D'Arcy called the report "an earnest and comprehensive effort," she asked, "Haven't we been down this road before?" For the report, click here.

NYC deeply split on Bloomberg plan to ban supersize sodas

Bloomberg with Linda I. Gibbs, deputy mayor for health.
(New York Times photo by Chang W. Lee)

In a bold move to curb obesity, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to ban the sale of supersize sodas and other sugary drinks by restaurants, movie theaters and street carts.

"The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-of-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March," reports Michael Grynbaum for The New York Times.

Exempt from the measure are diet sodas, fruit juice, dairy-based drinks and alcoholic drinks. The ban would include drinks sold in grocery or convenience stores.

"New York City is not about wringing your hands; it's about doing something," Bloomberg said. "I think that's what the public wants the mayor to do." In NYC, more than half of adults are obese or overweight.

A poll conducted Sunday showed about half of New Yorkers feel Bloomberg is going too far, while 42 percent said it would be good health policy, reports Samantha Gross for The Associated Press. The idea has been harshly criticized, with an editorial in the Times calling the plan "overreaching" and saying "Too much nannying with a ban might well cause people to tune out."

But conservative David Frum, a contributing editor for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, said "good for Bloomberg," pointing out: "Sugary drinks now provide 7 percent of the calories in the American diet, the largest single national source of calories. Teen boys average more than a quart of sugary soda per day. Even adults who say they are trying to lose weight still drink more two 12-ounces cans per day, on average."

"The campaign against obesity will have to look a lot less like the campaign against smoking (which involves just one decision, to smoke or not to smoke) and much more like the generation-long campaign against highway fatalities, which required the redesign of cars, the redesign of highways, and changes in personal behavior like seat-belt use and drunk driving," Frum argues.

Agriculture commissioner visits six counties to promote local food, better nutrition in school lunches

State Sen. David Givens, R-Greensburg, watches
as Commissioner James Comer speaks at Green
County High School.(Greensburg Record-Herald)

To encourage child nutrition and healthier school lunches, state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer visited six Kentucky school districts earlier this week. He met with school boards in Owsley, Jackson, Knox, Marion and Metcalfe counties, and visited Green County High School, according to a news release from his office.

Many Kentucky children consume more than half of their daily calories at schools. During a typical school day, 4 in 10 American students buy and eat snack foods and drinks, the Pew Health Group found. More than 23 million children and teens in the U.S. are overweight or obese.

"Children who are overweight and obese are at greater risk of chronic ailments that can damage their quality of life and even shorten their lives," Comer said. "Schools can help students eat better, but many schools simply don't have the resources, the equipment or the training necessary to serve healthy meals on a consistent basis. I want to talk to local leaders about how the Kentucky Department of Agriculture can help."

"Just a small amount of money would enable many school districts to make healthy and nutritious foods available to their students," he said. "The KDA can help these schools wade through federal bureaucracy and find the necessary funding. We can also help with our Farm-to-School Program, which connects schools with local producers who can provide fresh Kentucky Proud foods. That's food for our kids, and it helps local farmers make a living." (Read more)

HBO's 'Weight of the Nation' examines the obesity epidemic

A compelling four-part documentary delving into the obesity epidemic sweeping the country is being aired on HBO and can be watched free by clicking here. A reporter wanting to write a series of stories on the issue would find "weight of the Nation" a good reference.

The program is divided into four parts. The first segment, "Consequences," looks at the scope of the epidemic and the ramifications of being overweight or obese. "Choices" looks at the science behind how to lose weight, how to maintain weight loss and prevent weight gain. The third part, "Children in Crisis," looks at how the problem is affecting American children, exploring the decline of physical activity, school lunch, the demise of school recess and how marketing of unhealthy food targets children. The final segment, "Challenges," looks at the major forces driving obesity, including agriculture, economics, evolutionary biology, food marketing, racial and socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, American food culture, and the influence of the food and beverage industries.

The documentary is on a detailed website that answers questions that range from "What is obesity?" to "How do I know if I'm overweight or obese?"

The project is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, with support from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and health insurer Kaiser Permanente.

4 of 5 Kentuckians think child obesity is a problem, and more than half favor a statewide smoking ban, poll finds

More than four out of five Kentuckians think too many children are overweight, and more than half want a statewide smoking ban. These are two of key findings of the Kentucky Health Issues Poll, which also asked respondents about prescription drug abuse, depression and access to health care.

Poll findings are available by clicking here. Findings have been broken down by region: Western Kentucky, greater Louisville, greater Lexington area, Northern Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky.

Statewide, the poll found 54 percent of Kentuckians favor a statewide smoking ban, up from 53 percent the year before. In 2010, Kentuckians were split down the middle, 48 percent to 48 percent.

A whopping 84 percent of Kentuckians feel childhood obesity is a problem, which is timely since 33 percent of children, 60 percent of women and 80 percent of men in Kentucky are overweight or obese, "Shaping Kentucky's Future: A Community Guide to Reducing Obesity" reports.

The poll also found more than one in three Kentuckians know someone who has misused prescription drugs; 65 percent of adults dispose of their prescription drugs in an unsafe way; nearly half keep guns in their homes; and 1 in 2 Kentuckians have a family member or friend with a serious problem of depression. Nearly 90 percent of people asked favor providing access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans.

"The Kentucky Health Issues Poll provides an excellent snapshot of how various health related issues are viewed throughout the commonwealth," said Dr. Susan Zepeda, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which helped fund the poll. "The survey's methodology lets us compare responses and learn about regional differences in Kentucky views about health."

The poll was also funded by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. It was conducted Sept. 27 to Oct. 27 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of adults across Kentucky were interviewed, including 1,313 landline interviews and 308 cell-phone interviews.

Report looks at ways Kentucky communities are battling obesity

Winchester residents walk the Traveling Trail, a walking
path meant to encourage residents to exercise.

A new report takes a hard look at obesity in Kentucky and highlights what individual communities are doing to combat the problem.

"Shaping Kentucky's Future: A Community Guide to Reducing Obesity" could be useful to readers, officials and advocates interested in effecting change, with some efforts relatively easy — and cheap — to implement.

Statewide, 33 percent of children, 60 percent of women and 80 percent of men are overweight or obese, ranking Kentucky's third highest in the country for children and sixth highest for adults. Health care costs attributable to obesity in Kentucky are estimated to be $2.3 billion in 2013.

The report highlights community efforts in:
• Berea, for its effort to make the city more accessible to pedestrians.
• Winchester, for mowing a walking trail on land owned by the community hospital.
• Louisville, for supporting breast-feeding mothers; selling healthy food at urban markets
• Madisonville, for Hopkins County's wellness program for its 150 county employees.
• Lexington, for serving the Better Bites menu at several pools and city facilities, rather than unhealthy meals and snacks.
• Hopkinsville, for its farmers' market being one of the first to accept SNAP nutrition assistance benefits.
• Tyner, for building a commercial kitchen so residents can process local food and package it for sale.
• Buckhorn, Lexington and Shelbyville, for opening up schools for exercise venues.

The report, which was funded by the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the Shaping Kentucky's Future Collaborative and the Tides Foundation, also looks at success stories in schools, from an effort at Science Hill in Pulaski County to the Healthy Monday program in Covington, which includes walking the Monday Mile and eating the Monday Meatless Meal. (Read more)

Where you live can affect your weight, studies find

A child's weight can be determined in part by what neighborhood he or she grows up in, a new series of studies indicate. (Photo by Getty Images)

In one of the studies, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers examined neighborhoods in King County, Wash., and San Diego County, Calif., and rated them in terms of physical activity and nutrition for kids ages 6 to through 11. A neighborhood received a high rating if its residents could easily walk to places like stores, libraries and parks. They also got a good grade if they had several grocery stores where healthy foods are sold, reports Kim Carollo for ABC News.

Poor-rated neighborhoods had few grocery stores or had lots of fast food restaurants. They also had few parks. "The biggest difference we found in rates of obesity were in the places where the environment was good for both nutrition and physical activity, the rates were less than 8 percent, but if the nutrition and physical activity were not good, the rates went up to 16 percent," said Brian Saelens, a co-author and professor of pediatrics at Seattle Children's Research Institute. (Read more)

The findings, explored using geographic information systems, are in keeping with an op-ed piece by Susan Blumenthal, public-health editor for the Huffington Post. Making the link between poverty and obesity, she points out the difference an affordable housing project has made in Greenbridge in King County, an immigrant community where more than 54 percent of adults are overweight or obese and more than 85 percent of children in grades 8, 10 and 12 do not meet federal physical activity recommendations.

The neighborhood is "being designed and built as models for creating an environment that promotes healthy diets and active lifestyles for their residents," she explains. The neighborhood now boasts an elementary school, a Head Start program, a Boys and Girls Club, community gardens to grown fresh fruits and vegetables, a library, play areas, walking path, a food bank, a community center and a public health clinic.

"This integrative approach has turned a trouble neighborhood into a welcoming place to live," she writes. "Initiatives like this one that involve not only individuals but the entire family and community provide a model for how to improve the health of cities across our nation." (Read more)

How to help your child lose weight? Lose weight yourself

If parents want to help their children lose weight, they should lose weight themselves, a new study shows.

"Parents are the most significant people in a child's environment, serving as the first and most important teachers," said Kerri N. Boutelle, associate professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of California-San Diego. "They play a signifiant role in any weight-loss program for children, and this study confirms the importance of their example in establishing healthy eating and exercise behaviors for their kids."

Researchers analyzed 80 adults who were parent to a 8- to 12-year child who was either overweight or obese for five months. Some adults participated in a parent-only treatment program, while others were in a program designed for themselves and their child.

The study looked at "the impact of three types of parenting skills taught in family-based behavioral treatment for childhood obesity, and the impact of each on the child's body weight: the parent modeling behaviors to promote their own weight loss, changes in home food environment, and parenting style and techniques (for example, a parent's ability to help limit the child's eating behavior, encouraging the child and participating in program activities)," reports research-reporting service Newswise. (Read more)