Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years with the prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to almost 20 percent in 2008. Public health data show nearly 30 percent of children and teens are overweight or obese, but how does a community combat this issue?
This is the type of issue where success demands collaboration across many stakeholder groups. What is needed for the development of a “Healthy Living” infrastructure in Delaware County is a collaborative effort of health care and education professionals, local government, corporate and community leaders who possess the power to create positive change through strategic alignment of current educational, nutritional, recreational and social service resources. Convening relevant stakeholders to address the issue, would facilitate partners bringing their expertise, skills and insights to develop a unified corporate, community and government approach to a healthier lifestyle here in Delaware County. With a critical mass of diverse county-wide leadership participation, this consortium could create a strategic framework, dealing with both aspects of the obesity formula: Nutrition (calories consumed) and Physical Activity (calories consumed). Delaware County would be a better and healthier community.
Wednesday - Collaboration on Education
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