Bill Clinton spoke Sunday at the conference of the National School Boards Association in San Francisco, warning the audience of educators and school administrators of the danger of the rising childhood obesity epidemic.
Clinton said the result of this rise in obesity will be "a calamitous crisis in health". He pointed to a "significant number" of children as young as 9 being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, also called adult onset diabetes. As the number of young children diagnosed with diabetes rises, Clinton warned the number of heart attacks, strokes, blindness and amputations may also rise as a result.
He also outlined a plan in partnership with the American Heart Association to counter childhood obesity. Increased nutrition education, working with food suppliers for healthier food in schools and setting up more recreational facilities for kids.
My kids aren't overweight and we don't eat a lot of 'junk food' but we are seriously lacking in physical activity. We model exercise, the kids take sports or yoga classes. But I honestly think the best way to encourage physical activity is to give kids free reign of the neighborhood to ride bikes and play. Of course, not many of us are able to do this even in the suburbs.
I'd like to thank Mr Clinton for pointing out the obesity epidemic to school officials who can help find new solutions to help kids and also for teaching me a new word. "Calamitous" He's the president who just keeps on giving.
