Through the efforts of the GHI and the community we believe we can provide the programs and services needed to lessen the epidemic of obesity. Our children are the victims of an epidemic, just as surely as they were infected with a virus. The public tends to think of an epidemic as an outbreak of contagious disease, but the reality is that the outbreak of obesity is as dramatic as an infectious disease. It is time for all of us to recognize obesity as a disease that is infiltrating the health of the children of our community. The problems associated with obesity in children is a public health crisis. The sooner we accept the responsibility of tackling this crisis the sooner we can aggressively treat and prevent this health threat to our children. Treatment for obesity starts with the early intervention of healthy eating and physical movement before a child becomes overweight. This is our mission. The Growing Healthy Initiative will be successful with the prevention of childhood obesity if we can intervene today for a healthier childhood for the kids in our community.
Children in the Sioux Falls area are not immune to this epidemic of obesity. The numbers speak for themselves. Thirty-three percent of the kids in the Sioux Falls area are overweight and obese. The national average is twenty-five percent. These are alarming rates, and the fact is these are only going to rise. When public health officials tell us that one-third of our kids are overweight or obese or at high risk of becoming so, it is time to take steps to change the children’s environment, both inside and outside the home.
What will happen if we don’t pull together to halt the obesity epidemic? It is predicted that obesity will overtake smoking as the number one preventive disease In America. The effect on the health care budget will continue to raise with the complications that overweight children will bring into adulthood. Once rare to the medical field physicians are now seeing adult onset type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure in children under ten years old. Diabetes and heart disease cause more than 780,000 deaths each year. It has been said that this is the first generation in U.S. history that will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This is a very chilling statement.
Obesity damages the body, mind, and spirit of the children and adults in our community. It is the vision of the Growing Healthy Community initiative to assure children in our community have improved health. Through coordinated community response, people working together strive to increase the quality of life for their families through sound health and nutrition education, expanded fitness and recreation opportunities, intervention services to address children at risk and experiencing obesity and obesity related disease, and the promotion of a culture and environment of wellness, fitness, and fun.
The community of Sioux Falls has pulled together to fight the crisis of childhood obesity. Involved in this effort are community leaders from the city and state level, public and private schools, healthcare services, childcare providers, fitness centers, hospitals, nonprofit agencies, business, industry, and retail sector. The passion and dedication of all of these volunteers created the Growing Healthy Initiative. Over seventy people of all ages and backgrounds have worked over a year and a half to bring community awareness regarding the impact of obesity on health and economy of the community.
The Growing Healthy Initiative values the commitment to helping families to meet the health and wellness needs of their children. It is a belief that working together, the community can successfully lessen the incidence and impact of pediatric obesity. There is a dedication to embedding services and resources throughout the community, designed to truly change the culture and actions of community citizens to promote healthy active lifestyles. A catalyst for community change is an understanding that healthy eating and an active lifestyle are key factors in the social and economic health of our community.
Strategic priorities of Growing Healthy are to build an easily accessible network of information, resources, and the best practices in nutrition, fitness, movement, and health promotion for children and adults in the community. Reversing the alarming trends in the health of its children and regarding the impact of obesity on the health and economy of the community is a main concern for GHI. An important issue will be determining and promoting appropriate intervention strategies for children experiencing obesity and/or obesity related disease. It is the goal of the GHI to mobilize the community to develop educational, wellness, fitness, active movement, and food choice options for children and families designed to promote a healthy lifestyle.