Fat babies at risk to become obese adults

“'A lot of conventional thinking has been that a big baby is a healthy baby,' said Leann Birch, director of the Center for Childhood Obesity Research at Pennsylvania State University, who chaired the 14-member panel that issued the 140-page report. 'What’s happened over the past decade or so is that the evidence has been building that early overweight or early rapid weight gain places kids at risk for later obesity.'”

Food makers resist lawmakers’ proposal for guidelines in marketing to children

“The food and advertising industries are pushing back against an Obama administration proposal that calls for food makers to voluntarily limit the way they market sugary cereals, salty snacks and other foods to children and teens. . .

“The guidelines, ordered by Congress and written by a team from the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Agriculture Department, ignited a debate about the role of marketing in soaring obesity rates among children.”

A representative of the Grocery Manufacturers Association argued that de facto regulations would not solve the childhood obesity epidemic, but they would hurt business.  Why is that reasoning illogical?

Kids' food market set to boom with products for generation XL

According to a new report from the marketing research firm Packaged Facts, the next five years will see manufacturers portraying themselves as the solution to the childhood obesity problem.

"While the bulk of packaged retail products targeting kids (a $10 billion market in 2010) were in ‘traditional’ categories such as cereals and ice cream, 40 percent had some better-for-you element, with claims such as ‘made with whole wheat’ or ‘lower sugar’, it noted."

Mexico Puts Its Children on a Diet

Mexico's children are among the world's fattest, with one in three children overweight or obese.  Last year the country's education and health officials attempted to limit what schools could sell at recess, but snack food companies fought back through the Ministry of the Economy.  Nevertheless, the new rules have removed 90 percent of fried foods and all soft drinks from elementary schools.  Mexican schools do not serve lunch.

Tune in to Friday's White House childhood obesity meeting

On Friday, April 9, a broad array of experts, industry leaders, and people who work on child obesity issues every day in their communities will meet at the White House to share their specific ideas about how to empower parents to make healthy choices for their children, provide healthy food at schools, improve access to healthy, affordable food in local communities, and get kids more physically active.


You can watch tomorrow's discussion live on WhiteHouse.gov/live from 1:30-5:00PM EDT

CSPAN Student Cam First Prize on Childhood Obesity

Matthew Shimura is a seventh-grade student at Honolulu’s Punahou School.  In his prize-winning video, “Childhood Obesity: A Challenge Facing America,” he presents adults in authority who relate all the standard messages regarding childhood overweight and obesity. However, when you hear the young narrator speaking those truths, the effect is a very powerful realization.  Both adults and young people need to take responsibility for daily eating habits and physical activity.

Matthew will be the guest of Michelle Obama this coming week at the White House.  Bravo, Matt!

Jamie Oliver's TV Campaign Against Obesity in the U.S.

Set your TIVO or DVR to Friday, March 26, 8:00 EDT/7:00 CDT on ABC to catch the first of seven episodes of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."

Jamie has hit on the crucial element missing in Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign (http://www.letsmove.gov/) against childhood obesity: cooking healthy foods at home.