Let's Move!

By Laura Duncan on 05/05/2011 @ 04:01 PM

Summer break is here! As kids finish school activities and begin preparing for their summer break, it’s important for parents to think about how their children will spend the next months and how their activities will impact their health. Will they be inside the home playing videogames, or will they be running outside and playing with their friends?

Like many First Ladies before her, Michelle Obama has dedicated her time in the White House to a very special cause; in her case, the cause is combating childhood obesity. Her campaign, Let’s Move, is dedicated to “solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams.”

At this moment, one in three children is either overweight or obese in America, a rate that is even higher in African American and Hispanic communities. Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled since 1980. If we do not change these numbers, one in three children will likely develop diabetes sometime in the future. Obesity has also been proven to lead to heart problems, asthma and sleep apnea.

The strategies endorsed by Let’s Move are based on recommendations put forth by the Task Force on Childhood Obesity created by President Obama, and focuses on five pillars:

• Creating a healthy start for children
• Empowering parents and caregivers
• Providing healthy food in schools
• Improving access to healthy, affordable foods
• Increasing physical activity

The causes for this increase in obesity rates are still not completely clear, but scientists agree that changes in nutrition and exercise levels have played a substantial part. The good news is that by changing our habits, we can fight back against these predictions and guarantee that our children will have a healthier future.

The Let’s Move website has information for parents, kids, schools, mayors, chefs and anyone who is concerned and wants to help his or her community. Another great source of information is the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines include easy-to-read, research-based suggestions on how to increase physical activities, separated by age group and level of fitness.

It’s important to remember that losing weight is not an end in itself, it is a consequence of a healthy lifestyle. The Department of Health and Human Services guidelines remind us that: “the health benefits of physical activities are generally independent of body weight. The good news for people needing to lose weight is that regular physical activity provides major health benefits no matter how their weight changes over time”.

The First Lady suggests a good physical activity – dancing. Watch this video of Mrs. Obama dancing to Beyonce’s "Move Your Body" with students at Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC.

The No Limits Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, which means we cannot post material that is political or partisan. Comments or postings reflect the opinions of the author only, and in no way reflect the position of No Limits. No Limits does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of any posting. If you send a blog post to No Limits and we publish it on the site, we will note you as the author but we cannot pay for any submissions. Because of space considerations, not all posts submitted may be published. We are not responsible for the content of or for third party rights in material posted by you. For more information, please visit our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.