Children's Health & Fitness ? Childhood Obesity Bill Passes Senate

June 21st, 2012 by Len Saunders

From WDTV-TV, CBS?..

The obesity epidemic isn?t going anywhere, but one lawmaker has come up with a new way to battle the issue. Joe Manchin hopes an amendment to the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act that just passed the Senate a few hours ago will reverse the weight gain trend in our children.

The average obesity rate among adults here in the Mountain State between 2008 and 2010 stood at an alarming 32%. Many feel that encouraging healthy eating habits at a very young age is the key to reversing the recent uptick in obesity. And that?s exactly what lawmakers hope this amendment will accomplish. In case you didn?t hear us tell you all about it yesterday here on 5 News, this amendment requires dietary guidelines to be set for pregnant women and children under the age of 2. Right now, there are no federal nutrition guidelines in place for these groups. But, if the amendment passes in Congress, the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services would be required to develop, implement, and promote dietary guidelines for those pregnant women and little kids. They do have guidelines in place for children who are older than 2. Research suggests that infants on a healthy diet are more likely to continue those good habits later in life. But many parents might not have the knowledge they need to make the right choices for their kids.

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Entry Filed under: Health / Fitness Articles

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