As many as one in three children and adolescents are obese in the United States. Here are some recent articles on the topic thanks to Virginia Clarke of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders:
A Plan for Overweight Kids
Dean Ornish M.D. May 27, 2008 The childhood obesity epidemic has been called ‘the terrorist threat from within.’ Now researchers armed with $500 million are taking aim at this public health disaster.
Washington Post Articles of Note:
Obesity Threatens a Generation
How Obesity Harms a Child’s Body
Facts You Should Know About Childhood Obesity
And finally, while this is for California, the connection between a glut of nearby fast food restaurants and obesity may be universal…
Link between local food environment and obesity
This report demonstrates that people who live near an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and produce vendors, have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes regardless of individual or community income. Given the enormous personal, social, and economic costs of the obesity and diabetes epidemics, we call on state and local policy makers to take steps to ensure that every California community has a healthy food environment.