Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Fritos! Given how many times my friends and I ate these goodies growing up, it is truly shocking to learn that today children ages 6-11 are four times more likely to be obese than children were a generation ago. [1] Four! What's going on!? Today, nearly one-third of all children are overweight or obese, placing them at heightened risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many other serious diseases.
We can turn this trend around. This is more than an issue of a Twinkie or two. Right now too many children aren't getting the nutrition they need every day for a healthy future.
Tell Congress to strengthen the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) so that more children in child care settings can benefit from nutritious meals and snacks.
About CACFP: The Child and Adult Care Food Program helps child care centers, Head Start, Early Head Start, and after-school programs to offer nutritious meals and snacks to millions of children each day. Sometimes this is the main daily meal a child receives. One-fifth of our nation's children live in poverty and these numbers are growing in this recession. This program provides reliable and regular nutrition to our children most in need. As more and more families lose jobs and homes, more children must rely on their child care and after-school programs to provide them with meals that meet nutritional standards.
Right now Congress is discussing ways to reduce health care costs in America. One of the most important investments we can make to reduce the staggering costs of diseases associated with obesity is to ensure that all children get the nutrition they need now for a healthy future.
Tell Congress to act now to provide nutritious food to our most vulnerable children and prevent lifelong health problems due to poor childhood nutrition.
Please take a minute to forward this message on to friends and family so we can build pressure on Congress to take action now to protect the nutrition and health of children.
Thanks for your support of all our nation's children!
Donna, Kristin, Joan, Sarah, Nanette, and the MomsRising Team
[1] Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Statement Regarding Release of Estimates of Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Children and Teens, read here, Beyond Health Care - New Directions to a Healthier America, Robert Wood Johnson Commission to Build a Healthier America, p. 7. read the report
P.S. Thanks to our partners at the National Women's Law Center, First Focus, NACCRRA, and First Five Years Fund.
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