Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Obesity

On Capitol Hill, Witnessing the Way Policy Meets Real Families’ Lives

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:52:13 -0500

The Witness to Hunger program armed 40 mothers with video cameras and set them out to document their lives and what it takes to feed a family in tight times. “These women are the experts on what it’s like to deal with the consequences of what our lawmakers decide,” says the program’s creator Marianna Chilton. On June 2, 2009, these experts took on Capitol Hill.

The Family Dinner Table: Implications for Children's Health and Well-being

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:30:14 -0600

The average family meal lasts barely 20 minutes -- and that's a major missed opportunity, according to a new brief from the Society for Research in Child Development. Sharing a meal regularly can boost children's health and well-being, reducing the likelihood that they'll become obese or use drugs and increase the odds that they'll do well in school.

Scouting Out School Wellness

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:35:28 -0500

Thanks to new legislation, schools across the country have to roll out comprehensive new wellness policies before the start of the next school year. It's an issue that the Girl Scouts of America has been focusing on, so Connect for Kids decided to find out what Girl Scouts across the country have to say about staying healthy and how schools can help. Sisters Lauren and Megan from Columbia, S.C. kick off a series of interviews prepared by Emerson Hunger Fellow Roshin Mathew.

The Future of Children: Childhood Obesity

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:43:36 -0500

CFK Reports From: The Future of Children: Childhood Obesity
Event: Forum
Organized By: Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and The Brookings Institution
Where/When: Faulk Auditorium - The Brookings Institution, March 14, 2006

A panel of four policy makers discussed their approaches to the problem of childhood obesity in the U.S., at an event marking the release of the third volume in The Future of Children series on the issue.

Facilities in the Neighborhood Matter to Teen Obesity and Weight

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:19:45 -0500

The headline says it all: "Inequality in the Built Environment Underlies Key Health Disparities in Physical Activity and Obesity." That's the bottom line from a new study in the journal Pediatrics, which finds that areas with higher socio-economic status were significantly more likely than lower-economic and high-minority blocks to have one or more recreational facilities that enable physical activity. This is the first study to look at the disparity in access to recreation sites and the activity and overweight patterns in U.S. teens.

Teens Learn To Fight for Good Food

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:41:06 -0500

Alarming statistics on the growing numbers of overweight and obese children and teens are getting the attention of school boards, parents, and public health officials. This story, reprinted from Youth Communication's New Youth Connections magazine, is by teen writer Natelege Whaley, who looks at programs aimed at helping teens stay healthy.

Stir It Up Campaign for Healthier Food in Schools

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 07:33:42 -0600

Parents work hard to give kids healthy food at home; now they are fighting to get junk food out of schools.

Nutrition & Physical Activity: A Policy Resource Guide

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:17:00 -0600

The purpose of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy Resource Guide, developed by the Washington State Department of Health, is to create a comprehensive tool for the prioritization and development of nutrition and physical activity policy options for state, local, regional and private jurisdictions.

Food Prices Linked to Weight Gain in Children

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:20:30 -0500

It's well known that grocery stores are not all created equal—the costs of fresh, healthy foods are typically higher in poorer areas. A RAND Corporation study found links between food costs and kids' health. Where fruits and veggies were more affordable, there were significantly lower gains in Body Mass Index among kindergarteners and first graders. Lower meat prices had the opposite effect.

Bright Futures

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:19:55 -0500

This national initiative, supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is dedicated to the principle that "every child deserves to be healthy and that optimal health involves

The MedlinePlus Obesity in Children

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:21:33 -0600

This section of The Medline Plus is a comprehensive resource, offering current scientific and medical information for parents and health professionals on this serious childhood health issue.

The MedlinePlus Childhood Nutrition

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:22:16 -0600

The Medline Plus, a service of the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, has a number of sections related to obesity. This section focuses on childhood nutrition, with information for parents and health professionals.

Healthy Schools, Healthy Youth!

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:18:48 -0500

Success stories from schools that have improved student nutrition, free downloadable resources, fact sheets and lot of information on what students are eating and drinking in school are all available from this project of the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

The MedlinePlus Infant and Toddler Nutrition

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:24:46 -0600

Research has shown that the early months and years are important in laying the groundwork for healthy weight in childhood and beyond. This section of The Medline Plus provides current updated informat

Shaping America's Youth

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:16:34 -0500

A searchable database of community programs and efforts to increase physical activity and improve nutrition in our nation's youth is one element of this site. It also functions as a network for progra