An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Benjamin Franklin is attributed with this saying that means keeping a problem from happening is much better than fixing it after it happens. This is true of many things, but especially in terms of obesity.
Obesity continues to be a health concern for adults, children and adolescents in the United States. Ohio is ranked as the fifth heaviest state in the nation, because nearly two-thirds of the state's residents are overweight (38%) or obese (28%). The number of overweight children in the United States has tripled between 1980 and 2002.
A Report on Body Mass Index of Ohio's Third Graders: 2004 - 2005 conducted by the Ohio Department of Health, found that 18.9% of Ohio's third grade public school students were overweight. An additional 16.7% of students were found to be at risk of being overweight.
This is concerning to health care professionals because being overweight impacts a child's current and future health. Overweight children are more likely to have increased blood pressure, cholesterol, lipid and insulin levels. They are also more likely to be obese as adults.
The Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound toolkit was developed by the Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); the Ohio Department of Health, Office of Healthy Ohio; the American Dairy Association - Mideast; the Ohio Dietetic Association; and Nationwide Children's Hospital to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. Introduced in 2007, the goal was to provide primary care providers with simple tools to educate parents, during well child visits, in prevention strategies by making good nutritional and physical activity decisions for their children.
As parents, we know you want the best for your children, which is why the Ohio AAP and the Ohio Department of Health have worked together to develop this website. You will find information and resources on healthy serving sizes, the types of foods your child should be eating, proper nutrition to sustain your child during sports, and much more.
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