Happy National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

O.K., so maybe America's growing childhood obesity epidemic isn't exactly a cause for celebration. But when the President of the United States actually starts giving this problem the attention it deserves, it's appropriate to whip out the party hats.

Yesterday, President Barack Obama declared September 2010 as "National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month." The proclamation drew attention to the fact that one out of every three American children are now considered overweight or obese, a public health crisis that sets kids up to develop dangerous medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and asthma. And while those statistics are sobering, Obama pointed to a solution: the Let's Move campaign, a comprehensive, obesity-fighting plan spearheaded by Michelle Obama that hopes to solve the childhood obesity problem within a generation.

I'm encouraged by the progress I'm already seeing in this arena.  Already, pilot programs throughout the nation allow food stamp recipients to use their benefits at local farmers' markets, which encourages the purchase of fresh, healthy fruits and veggies. For the first time since 1973, Congress may raise the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches, an effort that would boost meal quality and implement initiatives like farm-to-school programs in schools. Michelle Obama's "Let's Cook" instructional videos and "Chefs Move to Schools" initiative aim to increase nutrition education for both children and parents.

The multi-pronged approach to creating healthier children is a good one, and it's great that America finally has an administration that won't turn a blind eye to the growing and expanding (literally) problem of childhood obesity. But in order to really shave down kids' waistlines, the Let's Move campaign needs to focus on two additional areas: Junk food marketing and the school lunch culture.

Every year, kids are bombarded by billions of dollars' worth of marketing for fast food, salty snacks, and sugary treats. A cartoon Cheetah with groovy sunglasses hawks shockingly orange-colored snacks, a plucky Leprechaun offers up sugary cereals, and the prospect of a shiny, new toy lures kids into fast food joints. These lovable characters and prizes not only entice kids to choose junky foods, they actually incentivize poor nutrition, setting children up for a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits. It's time to restrict how food manufacturers can market unhealthy foods to kids. (You can help by signing our petition asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to do just that).

School lunch also needs a thorough overhaul. Yes, the proposed Child Nutrition Act would raise the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches for the first time since 1973. But even if the bill is passed, each lunch would only get roughly an additional six cents. School lunches are not only gross, a new study shows that they actually contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic by making kids gain weight. Six cents more is a step in the right direction, but let's be honest: Throwing a few pennies at each lunch can only change so much. What we really need is farm-to-school programs that provide cafeterias with fresh, local produce; education initiatives to teach kids proper eating habits; and improved USDA nutrition standards to really ensure lunches are healthy. We should ask Congress to support the Child Nutrition Act in the meantime, but really overhauling school meals will require thinking outside the lunch box.

Childhood obesity is a giant, hairy problem that requires a multi-faceted approach to combat it. "Go big or go home," an old sports saying, really applies to our obesity-fighting strategy. The Let's Move campaign has got to go big in order to push kids to get smaller. If it doesn't go all the way, it might as well go home.

Photo credit: cliff1066 via Flickr