Government programs and targeted information campaigns can, indeed, generate positive societal change. Consider a report published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which showed a sharp decline in the rate of childhood obesity in the past several years.
Between 2003-04 and 2011-12, there was about a 40 percent decline in the obesity rate for children ages 2 to 5. A decade ago, the obesity rate for that age group was an unfathomable 13.9 percent; today, it is a still-too-high 8.4 percent.
Childhood obesity has become a cause célèbre over the past decade, with several campaigns targeting an issue that can be a harbinger for lifelong health concerns. As a study published in January indicated, a big part of a child’s obesity risk is already established by the age of 5. But, as simple observation indicates, a big part of a child’s obesity risk already is established at birth by the genes they inherit. That fact of life can be compounded by a society rife with fast food and junk food and sedentary lifestyles. No, playing video games does not count as exercise.
The Washington Post points to six primary reasons for the drop in obesity among young children. Among them: Nutrition assistance such as food stamps and WIC (women, infants, and children) has been reconfigured to emphasize healthy eating choices; new federal nutritional guidelines have trickled down to state and local programs; and food companies, under pressure, have limited television advertisements targeting children. In addition, several national programs emphasizing healthy nutrition and physical activity — such as first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign — have made a difference, and in December 2010 President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to encourage better eating habits in schools.