By Patricia Carter
June 2, 2008

Childhood obesity is an issue that is commanding growing attention, including a recent five-part series in The Washington Post. Today’s young people may be the first generation in American history to live sicker and die younger than their parents’ generation. At least one out of every three American children is overweight, with a significant number considered morbidly obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the annual cost of obesity in the United States is estimated at $177 billion in direct medical expenses and indirect cost, including lost productivity. Childhood obesity alone is estimated to cost $14 billion annually in health expenses.

As illustrated in The Post series, childhood obesity is an epidemic that threatens not just the health of children, but also the viability of communities. As Jeffery P. Koplan of Emory University explained in the series, the childhood obesity may “…contribute more to our health-care bill than anything else over the next 50 years.” Many overweight children become overweight adults and suffer from diseases in both childhood and adulthood that limit health and increase their reliance on the health-care system.

In a 2004 Institute of Medicine Study on Childhood Obesity, chaired by Koplan, the following recommendations were made for addressing the epidemic at state and local levels:

• Expand opportunities for physical activity in the community through changes to ordinances, capitol improvement programs.

• Work with communities to expand access to healthful foods.

In The Post Series, a series of experts were asked to grade how various groups including government, health care professionals, media and school districts, were doing in terms of responding to the epidemic. State and local governments received a C-.

The grade is disingenuous at best. While there is room for improvement at the local level, there is also solid mayoral leadership and city-based accomplishments that are undoubtedly contributing to the creation of healthier communities. Just three of many noteworthy examples include:

• The work of Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett who announced a citywide weight-loss initiative this past January challenging the residents of Oklahoma City to shed a million pounds in 2008. Not only have the mayor’s efforts received national attention, but now Cornett is joining with Taco Bell Corp. in a marketing campaign touting both the company’s reduced-fat menu and Cornett’s wellness plan for city residents. Taco Bell’s new Fresco Menu, which debuted in December and includes nine items with less than nine grams of fat, has been dubbed the “Official Menu of the Mayor’s Challenge.” Life-size cardboard cutouts of the mayor, which began appearing Thursday in Oklahoma City-area Taco Bell stores, feature the slogan, “Because you can’t lose 1 million lbs. by yourself.”

• The work of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums who is championing California Assembly Bill 2072, the Excellence in Physical Education Act of 2008. According to Dellums, the bill “is rooted in our collective commitment to see that the young people of our community learn the value of a healthy and active lifestyle at an early age. A strong relationship between state and local government and our partners in education is vital to improving this looming public health issue, which is compromising the health and academic potential of our students.” If enacted AB2072 would requires the State Board of Education to establish an award program for schools that conduct their physical education courses pursuant to the State’s existing standards and demonstrate increasing numbers of pupils enrolled in that school meet minimum standards on the physical performance test.

• The work of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who has launched a coordinated campaign to improve access to fresh foods and to help New Yorkers understand the strong link between nutrition and overall health. Because of Bloomberg’s leadership, 500 “green carts” full of fresh fruits and vegetables are slated to hit city streets by the end of summer. These carts will expand the healthy eating options for thousands of New Yorkers. In a related measure, 1,000 bodegas have pledged to broaden the array of healthy food they sell.

To learn more about what these and other localities across the country are doing to fight childhood obesity, please join the Mayors’ Healthy Cities Campaign. The Campaign is addressing the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic by educating leaders about the impact of public policies on the health of children and providing information about policies and programs that support active living and access to healthy foods. To join the campaign go to: http://www.usmayors.org/chhs/healthycities_registration.asp or contact Patricia Carter at PCarter@usmayors.org