Forum focuses on obesity prevention in children

More useless activity adding to the entropy of the universe.

Educators and health professionals from around Lake County gathered Wednesday to share information and strategies on how to prevent obesity — a disease that has been declared an epidemic by the National Institutes of Health.

Error!

Obesity is not a disease.

Held at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, the community forum looked at diverse ways communities and agencies are already working to help people get fit, not fat. Those ways include new models for physical education, church-based fitness centers, the expansion of farmers markets, day care gardens, child nutrition programs and stepped-up promotion of breastfeeding.

Toby Smithson, national spokesperson for the National Dietetic Association came armed with the latest statistics: more than two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese and over one-third are obese. In Illinois, between 25 and 29 percent of adults are obese.

“The trends are showing that by the year 2020, three out of four adults will be overweight,” said Smithson, who noted that people are snacking and dining out heavily, eating more calories, but getting fewer nutrients.

Poor eating habits, outsized portions, stress, depression and lack of exercise and sleep, also help fuel obesity, Smithson said.

The ADA has launched a Kids Eat Right program to help combat the problem. Smithson, who said the average person makes 250 decisions about food each day, listed key areas where change has to come: schools, health care, a soda tax, food deserts and menu labeling.

Jon Ashworth, who heads the Lake County Health Department’s Obesity Prevention Team, and who led the forum, called the event “an opportunity to gain some ‘big picture’ perspective” on national and statewide conversations on obesity prevention.

“We need to be having these conversations on a local level as well,” Ashworth said.

Error!

You need to shut-up.

There is only one conversation - fewer Calories in than out.

There is only one strategy - have the fat pay for their diseases of choice.

The rest is bulls**t.

To wit, look how well you have done heretofore.

Morons.