New Mexico Wins Grant of $100,000 to Combat Childhood Obesity

According to the New Mexico Department of Health news release, a national grant of $100,000 has been won by New Mexico that will help combat the rising problem of childhood obesity.

As stated by the Mayo Clinic, childhood obesity is on the rise all around the world. Most of the rise in obesity is very evident in areas were people live in sedentary lives and eat more fast foods which of course are high in calories and low in anything of nutritional value. In two decades, children between the age of 6 to 11 have become more overweight, and the numbers have even tripled when it comes to teenagers. A survey done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one third of United States children are overweight and or at risk of becoming overweight. That total comes to 25 million U.S. children or adolescents.

New Mexico was one out of 15 states that received the one year grant from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. The Governor of New Mexico has made it clear that childhood obesity is on of his top public health priorities. The Governor's office is the office that applied for the grant. With this grant it will allow New Mexico to support those children and teenagers to create healthier eating habits and arrange for more physical activity in their lives.

Governor Richardson states in a prepared statement that "I have always emphasized the importance of collaboration in my administration," he adds,"This is the first time we have all the key government players talking to one another about how we can work together to help our citizens lead healthy lives."

The grant will allow the Department of Health to target obesity prevention programs in Las Cruces and to determine different successful ways of supporting New Mexicans to change their eating habits as well as their behaviors. In November of this year, the Department of Health will start to build programs that will promote healthier behaviors in schools, businesses, communities, health care facilities and most importantly inside the home.

Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil states "We want to make it easier for our children and teenagers to develop eating and activity habits that will help them become healthy adults," he also adds, "This requires interventions not only at the individual level, but at the family, community, and public policy levels."

This year alone New Mexico has gone above and beyond in progress with improving the health of children. Along with this grant, Governor RIchardson approved, $8 million of funding that goes directly to increasing the number of elementary schools. The Governor also approved $2.8 million so that the breakfast program could be expanded, and another $2 million so that children in after school programs could focus on nutrition and activities.

Always remember, if you have a child who is overweight do not emphasize on their weight in a negative way. Get them to walk around the block with you, take a bike ride, go play at the park, eat healthier foods, discuss new ways of helping to lose some of the weight without making it a big deal. Stay focused with them on the positives, not the negatives. Children who are overweight have a hard enough time dealing with children their own age, don't make them uncomfortable around the people they need most.

To learn more about childhood obesity and ways to prevent it there are several different websites that you can visit, KidSource.com, The Mayo Clinic, and the American Obesity Association. Take the time to read up and educate yourself on the statistics, causes and how to prevent childhood obesity.

SOURCE : Governor's Office Wins $100,000 Grant to Combat Rising Childhood Obesity
http://www.health.state.nm.us/pdf/obesitygrant.pdf

SOURCE : The Mayo Clinic - Childhood Obesity
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/DS00698