Healthy Kids from Day One
Obesity rates are reaching epidemic levels in the U.S., particularly among children. One in three kids is either overweight or obese - a remarkable increase from the 4 percent of children in the 1960s. Not only can childhood obesity lead to potentially fatal health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, it can lessen quality of life and drive up the cost of health care. First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign has done a great deal to draw attention to the critical issue of combating child obesity, and Congress needs to do its part by helping to support healthier, more active lifestyles in a new generation of young Americans. As part of this effort, I introduced the Healthy Kids from Day One Act, which builds on the new prevention and wellness provisions of the health insurance reform act passed into law in 2010. My bill would create three-year pilot programs in five states to encourage child-care centers to develop obesity prevention programs targeted at children ages birth to 5 years. States would work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on approaches to get kids to be more physically active, eat healthier, and spend less time at sedentary activities like watching television or playing video games. This important bill will lay the groundwork for a healthier America.
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