David Jones, a retired North Carolina state employee, wants to raise awareness about childhood obesity. And he's doing it one step at a time - literally.

"Jones.... plans to walk the 73 miles from Snow Hill to Raleigh in October to take his message to state officials. 'I want to raise awareness that there needs to be more actions taken to defeat childhood obesity,' Jones said."

Three people are expected to join Jones in his walk. They will walk 15 miles a day for six days. Source: Kinston Free Press

Labels: awareness, childhood_health, prevention

As concern over childhood obesity increases, more and more parents are choosing sit-down restaurants over their high-fat laden counter-parts; fast-food. But one look at a restaurant's kids menu and you realize that many sit-down restaurants offer the same unhealthy options. But there are ways to eat out and still ensure that your child's meal is healthy.

"One way to foster good eating is to ask for substitutions with the kids' meal, and say no to the 'bottomless soft-drinks' Christian said. Better yet, forgo the kids' menu and share your healthier adult meal with your child, she said."

Helping kids develop a taste for healthy foods now means they'll be more likely to make healthy food choices in their adult years.

Labels: childhood_health, fast_food, healthy_eating

The Allen School District in Texas is planning to re-introduce a school route that many modern-day kids aren't familiar with: a walking trail. The plan is to construct a concrete trail that joins with an existing pedestrian underpass.

"'The whole point is to reduce traffic and increase childhood health,' [Kelly McGinnis] said. McGinnis cited studies from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that show a drop in children walking or biking to school and an increase in obesity rates, diabetes, asthma and other health issues."

The new trail would give kids a safe path, away from busy streets, while simultaneously reducing traffic during common drop-off and pick-up times. Read more at Courier-Gazette.com.

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Labels: childhood_health, schools, texas