Stamp out childhood obesity

Published 1:05 pm Thursday, July 24, 2008

Most of your readers are aware of the fact that childhood obesity has risen dramatically in the past decade. Statistics show that more than 11 million children world wide are obese. Despite the efforts to decrease the numbers, taking out the vending machines and what not, there is still more we can do to help the situation.

I work at a science center and every day I am bombarded by children who are overweight and obese, and they should not even have to struggle with it.

Another concern is the lack of physical education teachers in the school systems. I know that due to the budget cuts more school boards take out the music, art and physical education classes first, leaving on the academic courses. These are important, but school officials need to understand the importance of physical activity is crucial to their overall well being.

Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a cause developed by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundations are active in pursuing a decrease of childhood obesity by the year 2010, which is and extremely admirable goal, but we need to do more to reach it.

Anna Kaye Gilbreath

Birmingham