Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Obesity rates remain high; fruit and vegetable consumption low among Oklahoma youth; Oklahoma children are beating the national average in “getting their 60 minutes” of daily activity.

Oklahoma high school students are beating the national average for daily physical activity, but the state’s child obesity rate remains high as two out of three youths do not get the recommended amount of exercise and few eat fruits and vegetables regularly.

As National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month is observed throughout September, resources are available to help even more kids and teenagers get and stay healthy.

Many of those resources can be found online at www.shapeyourfutureok.com. The site, operated by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust and Oklahoma State Department of Health, links readers to websites that offer easy-to-follow tips and tools for improving nutrition and physical fitness. There are various ways in which people can help themselves, and using these links will be very beneficial to those still searching for the best way. A fitness tracker has become popular for people on a goal mission and want to be aware of how well they are doing. Most will go to sites like Mobile Mob to see how they can find different attachments, etc. to use with it, so they are able to get the best out of their fitness regime.

“People of all ages need regular physical activity and a well-balanced diet to achieve a healthy lifestyle, and it is particularly important to encourage and support healthy habits for youth,” said Courtney Thompson, Program Coordinator of the Get Fit Logan County “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month is a great time to learn and practice the benefits of eating better and moving more.”

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month was started in 2010 to draw attention to the rising rates of obesity among children and the associated increased health risks, including heart disease, diabetes, bone and joint problems and sleep apnea.

In this state, about one in three kids ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health of 2011-12. Meanwhile the latest Oklahoma Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates that one in six Oklahoma high school students (16.7 percent) are obese. The national average for obese high school students is 13 percent.

Regular physical activity and good nutrition form the foundation of achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Health experts advise children and teens to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

In Oklahoma, one in three high school students (33.1 percent) are getting 60 minutes of daily physicial activity, according to the Oklahoma Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Nationally, 28.7 percent of children and teens participated in 60 minutes of daily physical activity. About half (50.8 percent) of Oklahoma youth participated in an hour or more of physical activity at least five days a week, according to the state survey.

Among Oklahoma high school students, about 14 percent ate vegetables at least three times a day and 18 percent ate fruit at least three times a day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends filling at least half of your plate with fruits and vegetables to maintain a balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients that maintain good health and may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

For more information on what’s happening locally for kids and teens in physical activity and nutrition, including policy work with schools and afterschool programs, contact Courtney Thompson of the Get Fit Logan County at 282-3485 or courtneyt@health.ok.gov For a wealth of physical activity and nutrition ideas, guidelines and tools, visit www.shapeyourfutureok.com.

ABOUT TSET:

TSET is a grant making state agency that funds the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline, public education campaigns to improve health and grants to communities, statewide organizations, and research institutions. The TSET Board of Directors’ strategic plan focuses on reducing cancer and cardiovascular disease – the state’s leading causes of preventable death – by preventing tobacco use and obesity.