Members of the President's Childhood Obesity Task Force have released details of an action plan aimed at solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. The goal is to return to a childhood obesity rate of just 5 percent by 2030, which the task force says was the rate before childhood obesity first began to rise in the late 1970s. In total, the report presents a series of 70 specific recommendations, many of which the members say can be implemented right away.
Among other things, the report says food companies should extend their current self-imposed regulations to cover all forms of marketing to children, and food retailers should avoid in-store marketing that promotes unhealthy products to children. It says all media and entertainment companies should limit the licensing of their popular characters to food and beverage products that are healthy.
If these efforts don't work, the report says, the Federal Communications Commission should consider stronger regulations by "revisiting and modernizing rules on commercial time during children's programming."
The report also urges restaurants to give greater consideration to portion sizes, improve children's menus, and to make healthy options the default choice whenever possible. Chains and vending operators should consider adopting the new calorie-labeling requirements that are part of the federal health overhaul earlier than scheduled, the report says.\ Schools should consider upgrading their cafeteria equipment by swapping out deep fryers for salad bars, and work with local farmers, according to the report.
The task force calls on public and private insurance plans to cover services for overweight and obese children. Pediatricians should be encouraged to calculate children's body-mass index and provide information to parents about how to help their children achieve a healthy weight, it says.
The findings also call for an analysis of the effect of state and local sales taxes on less healthy, energy-dense foods.
The report is available online at www.LetsMove.gov.
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