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This frequently updated news digest on the subject of Childhood Obesity highlights key articles from major journals and news publications.
Updated: 5 days 18 hours ago

Prize-Winning Student Chefs Tout Healthy Eats

Wed, 03/03/2010 - 00:00
One of the items served Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives' cafeteria came all the way from Chicago. Well, not the actual meal, exactly -- the recipe.

Syracuse Lawmakers Reject School Contract With Coca-Cola Over Obesity Concerns

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 00:00
Citing childhood obesity concerns, the Syracuse Common Council this week rejected a school district proposal to contract with Coca-Cola Bottling Co. for exclusive pouring rights in city schools.

Banning School Junk Food Slows Obesity

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 00:00
Banning sugary beverages and junk foods from schools appears to slow childhood obesity, U.S. researchers found.

Study: Childhood Obesity Worsens for Some

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 00:00
Childhood overweight and obesity rates seem to be leveling off for all but a few subgroups, a new study released today says. Low-income, minority and publicly-insured children and teens keep getting fatter and their health risks continue to increase, said Lisa Simpson, director of the Child Policy Research Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Michelle Obama Takes Obesity Drive to Fattest State -- Mississippi

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 00:00
First Lady Michelle Obama brings her anti-childhood obesity drive to Mississippi -- the country's most overweight state -- on Wednesday, when she will appear with GOP Gov. Haley Barbour, who has left the door open to a 2012 White House run.

Kids Pack on the Calories With Frequent, Unhealthy Snacks

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 00:00
Children today snack an average of three times a day, and they are mostly consuming sugary beverages, cookies, cake, candy, salty snacks and other high-calorie junk food, a new study shows.

Childhood Obesity Linked to Heart Risk

Mon, 03/01/2010 - 00:00
Obese children as young as age 3 show signs of an inflammatory response that has been linked to heart disease later in life, researchers said, in a finding that is likely to further stoke concerns about childhood obesity.

Striking Number of Obesity Risks Hit Minority Kids

Mon, 03/01/2010 - 00:00
The odds of obesity appear stacked against black and Hispanic children starting even before birth, provocative new research suggests.

Major Changes in Food Labeling on the Horizon

Fri, 02/26/2010 - 00:00
Do you find the nutrition information on food packages confusing? Do you find it nearly impossible to read the jammed-together print in the ingredients list? Do you have any idea what some of the terms mean?

A Model for the Nation: First Lady Sees 'Food Desert' Solution

Fri, 02/26/2010 - 00:00
First lady Michelle Obama, crusading against childhood obesity and “food deserts,” singled out North Philadelphia as a shining example of how communities can come together to bring healthy foods to urban areas while creating jobs and revitalizing ailing neighborhoods.

Are School Lunches Setting Kids Up for Obesity and Poor Nutrition?

Thu, 02/25/2010 - 00:00
Michelle Obama launched her "Let's Move" campaign to fight obesity with a flood of media attention and a Presidential Memorandum, signed by her husband, establishing a new Task Force on Childhood Obesity. But how does the rhetoric of the Let's Move campaign stack up against what President Obama's administration is actually doing to address childhood obesity?

Obese Children, Young Diabetics at Increased Stroke Risk, Study Finds

Thu, 02/25/2010 - 00:00
Overweight children and young people with diabetes have a significantly higher risk of having strokes decades before their healthier peers, a new study has found.

Michelle Obama Shares the Emotions Behind Her Movement to Boost Kids' Health

Thu, 02/25/2010 - 00:00
First lady Michelle Obama sits in an upholstered armchair in her East Wing office, a generous bowl of fresh apples on a nearby table.

EDITORIAL: U.S. Wins Gold Medal for Obesity

Tue, 02/23/2010 - 00:00
Watching Shaun White drop into the halfpipe at the Vancouver Games, it’s easy to forget that America is the most sedentary nation on Earth. The Daily Beast this week released the results of the Couch Potato Olympics, analyzing statistics for 24 industrialized nations in calories consumed, television watched, aversion to playing sports (yes, there are data on that) and Internet use.

New Efforts Take Aim at Fighting Childhood Obesity in Michigan

Tue, 02/23/2010 - 00:00
When First Lady Michelle Obama urged "Let's Move" earlier this month, area experts in child obesity said, "we're way ahead of you," with efforts ranging from a new weight center just for kids to hip-hop dance classes with a funky instructor named Q.

Coverage for Treating Kids' Obesity Gets More Comprehensive

Tue, 02/23/2010 - 00:00
Parents of overweight and obese children face a heavy burden in navigating a complex health-care system that does little to help them change their kids' course. But a growing number of employers and health insurers are trying to make it easier to get such help.
Editor’s Note: This article includes quotes from Ginny Ehrlich, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. RWJF supports the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program.

Sec. Tom Vilsack: Securing Our Future Through Our Children's Health

Tue, 02/23/2010 - 00:00
Our country faces many challenges as we look to the future. In his first year in office, President Obama pulled us back from the brink of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression and worked to lay a new foundation for economic growth.

OPINION: The Challenge of Childhood Obesity

Mon, 02/22/2010 - 00:00
For many years, educators, nutritionists and researchers have been trying to call attention to the crisis of childhood obesity. And now, with Michelle Obama sounding the clarion call, we finally have a real opportunity to turn the tide on this growing public health threat.

Does Menu Labeling Affect Diners?

Mon, 02/22/2010 - 00:00
You'd think, with the ugly truth at last laid out before them courtesy of the new labeling law, California's restaurant diners would alter their behavior. That's a no-brainer, right?
Editor’s Note: This article quotes Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. The Rudd Center is an RWJF grantee.

Childhood Obesity in Tennessee Drops Slightly

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 00:00
Tennessee's efforts fighting its childhood obesity epidemic are beginning to pay off, health officials say, with a small drop in a rate that's been rising for at least three decades.