Institute of Medicine Preventing Child Obesity Report

A new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, developed by 19 experts in child health, nutrition, fitness, and public health in response to a request from Congress for an obesity prevention plan, says that reversing the rapid rise in obesity among American children and youth will require a multi-pronged approach by schools, families, communities, industry, and government that would be as comprehensive and ambitious as national anti-smoking efforts. While no single intervention or group acting alone can stop the epidemic of childhood obesity, the steps recommended by the report aim to increase and improve opportunities for children to engage in physical activity and eat a healthy diet.

Pre-publication copies of Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance are available from the National Academies Press at 202-334-3313, 800-624-6242, or at http://www.ncpad.org/683/3053/2004-10-01#10. The cost of the report is $52.00 (prepaid) plus shipping charges of $4.50 for the first copy and $.95 for each additional copy. Though the report does not focus on children with disabilities, most experts agree that childhood obesity is as much an issue among children with disabilities as it is for children without disabilities.