Obesity epidemic among kids: MD
By KEVIN CONNOR, TORONTO SUN
Childhood obesity, experts say, is the most blatantly visible health problem in Canada -- and the most neglected.
"Children need parental supervision and comprehensive school health programs have enormous potential to prevent childhood obesity," Dr. Paul Veugelers, an Alberta professor of public health, said yesterday at the Healthy Eating and Active Living Conference 2006.
As an example of an unhealthy message for children, Veugelers showed the Toronto conference a library book for preschoolers in which kids ate potato chips for breakfast.
"It's easy to teach them the wrong thing. Education to prevent childhood obesity at a young age is most effective."
In Nova Scotia, programs that allow kids access to gym after school and have nutrition programs fight the bulge and have 72% fewer obese kids than those that don't.
Kids who live in poor neighbourhoods without access to playgrounds or recreational activities have a 44% higher chance of obesity.
Childhood Obesity in Canada