Editor's Choice Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health Article Date: 23 Mar 2012 - 10:00 PDT

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The "Campaign to End Obesity" has just released a new study that shows that it is economically crucial to take real action on obesity, particularly in children.

Interestingly, the study was performed by two prominent conservative economists, both former Bush administration officials, who concluded that the impact on the budget would be far lower if policies to reverse childhood obesity were acted upon, rather than failing to tackle childhood obesity, which would be considerably more costly.

The authors highlight the fact that several evidence-based obesity interventions and treatment methods can prove cost-effective, as well as offering major long-term savings. They not only reduce obesity, but also prevent or decrease dangerous and costly secondary diseases, including cancer and diabetes.

$147 billion are currently spent every year on obesity-related health care expenses, a figure that does not include the additional billions in costs to businesses, communities and families. If the obesity epidemic is not controlled, the health care toll will continue to shoot up.

Health care costs are already the fastest-growing area of government spending, and according to a recent McKinsey report, the projected spending for the U.S. on obesity could be as high as $320 billion annually by 2018.

In light of these budgetary threats, Congress passed the health care overhaul in 2010 to seriously tackle the childhood obesity epidemic.

Progress is already being made in Wisconsin and countrywide, through implementing new community-directed programs that make healthy living more accessible to children and their families. The law also means that the secretary of Health and Human Services is in a position to ensure are wider availability of certain medical services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of obesity, and that these are covered under federal insurance programs.

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Combating Childhood Obesity, The Budget Case - Rep. Ron Kind and Donna Katen-Bahensky

YORK (Reuters Health) - Obesity rates continue to climb in California schools, but exercise and nutrition programs may be having a positive effect on student health, a new study suggests.

Kids entered fifth grade more obese every year, but they did not gain more weight and their overall fitness improved as they moved to higher grades.

"We accomplished a significant first step and that is to slow obesity," said Dr. William Bommer, a cardiologist at the University of California, Davis, who worked on the study. "But we importantly were not able to reverse it."

The researchers, whose report is published in the American Heart Journal, recorded the fitness gains after California mandated exercise time and healthful eating in public schools across the state in 2005.

While the findings suggest the prevention programs may be helping, they can't prove the programs caused the health improvements.

Obesity is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and other ailments in children and adults. About 17 percent of children and teens in the United States are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In response to rising obesity trends, California required public schools to provide an average of 20 minutes of physical exercise per day for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade, and 40 minutes for grades six to 12. Schools also had to increase the quality and quantity of health education and could no longer serve high-fat, high-sugar foods and drinks.

Bommer's team tracked data from more than six million students in fifth, seventh and ninth grade from 2003 to 2008, after these measures took effect.

At each grade level, the students took fitness tests which included body mass index (BMI) measurements, endurance runs, push-ups and shoulder stretches. The researchers analyzed those test records for changes in obesity and fitness.

They found some encouraging signs. Though the number of obese kids continued to increase (two percent more children were overweight or obese in 2008 than in 2003), the rate of increase seemed to be slowing.

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Student fitness improves with anti-obesity program

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21-03-2012 11:33 The local people of Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India, claim that the earth's very first coconut tree came from their soil. They called it the "tree of life" because every part of the tree--the root, the fruit, the leaves, the trunk--is utilized in a multitude of ways to support the health and survival of Kerala's indigenous people. Today, I want to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil, which has been prized as an Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Though ostracized in recent decades due to its "bad-for-you" saturated fat, science is finally convincing skeptical researchers that this ancient oil has unique and essential properties for optimal health. Dr. John Douillard, DC has written and produced numerous health and fitness books, CDs, and DVDs. He has been teaching and lecturing internationally for 25 years and publishes a free wellness video-newsletter filled with the latest studies and research. He was the Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets in the NBA and currently directs the LifeSpa- Ayurvedic Retreat Center in Boulder, CO, where he lives with his wife and six children.

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Coconut Oil: The one saturated fat you should be eating - Video

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22-03-2012 16:35 http://www.acaiberrysupplements.tk http Discover how Acai Berry can help you in improving your energy levels and getting you FITTER and HEALTHIER by clicking on the links above to find out more about the Acai diet plan with Acai Berry Select, a proven health and fitness supplement. There are two links here, one for men, - http://www.acaiberrysupplements.tk the other for women http If you do decide to purchase, then you win by getting a great product to help with your health and fitness regime and of course the business wins with another satisfied customer. If you sign up today there are some great gifts included, which will help with your diet and weight loss regime, absolutely free!

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Acai Berry Health and Diet Supplement, The Truth! - Video

One key ingredient to your weight loss and fitness success, my friends, is making focused decisions. We have to deal with so many variables each day that prevent us from attaining our fitness goals. In regard to your health, numerous times each day we are faced with situations that will either help or hurt our chances of attaining our goals. I call these crossroads. I truly believe your success is drastically impacted by the many decisions you make at these crossroads all day, each and every day. Your first crossroad starts at breakfast. You have to decide between bacon, biscuits and eggs, a meal replacement shake, oatmeal, or finally just skipping breakfast altogether because you woke up late. It has been my experience that this decision is crucial in determining whether or not you will attain your weight loss goals. If you skip breakfast, you have now missed the most important meal of the day. After waking from six to eight hours of sleeping and non-replenishment of food, skipping a meal is the last thing your body needs. Seriously, it is time for your body to be nourished so that you can be productive throughout your busy day. Secondly, if you skip breakfast you also miss the opportunity to speed up your metabolism, and we all know that a faster metabolism will help keep us lean and trim. Heres my question: At this crossroad, if our goal is to stay healthy, trim and lose fat, why would any other choice besides speeding up our metabolism and providing our body essential nutrients be an option? You will come up on these crossroads often until bed time. Snacks, lunch, dinner, exercise scheduling, and water consumption are a few crossroads that come to mind. Please be ready to make a good decision that is consistent for your goals when the next one arrives. It is also a very good idea to plan ahead. Lets say you are like many who have trouble eating large amounts of calories late at night. Well, a little planning here could be something as simple as making a list and going to the grocery store and purchasing a two- or three-day supply of healthy snacks for convenient consumption when your next late night urge strikes. By planning for this crossroad, you get to satisfy your late-night craving without gaining weight at the same time. My next question is: What would you have eaten had you not taken the time to have something healthy around? And would it have kept you on track for your health and wellness goals? These are the crossroads I challenge you to conquer all day, each day and every night. Your health, nutrition and fitness program is like a freight train moving at a high rate of speed toward your goals. Your train has the ability to stop at every railroad crossing. The doors can open, and you can hop off the fast track towards your goals and head slowly in a different direction away from them if you choose not to persist. I challenge you to be so focused on your better health by staying on board with choices that never let you change directions at these crossroads. Great decisions will keep your fitness train moving straight ahead, at a high rate of speed, toward healthy results. It takes a little effort at first to master the crossroads, but with time, they soon become second nature. This is my challenge for you today: Make good decisions at your crossroads all day, every day to attain your health goals. You can do this! Until next week, please make it a healthy and nutritious day! For more information on weight loss and healthy nutrition, contact Reggie at 613-0237.

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Make decisions with your health goals in mind

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21-03-2012 10:31 Kick off Health and Fitness April 2012

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Kick off Health and Fitness - Video

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21-03-2012 11:22

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Dr. Dirk Burkhardt speaks about new Clinic at Mitchell's Health and Fitness - Video

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Health and wellness in Tweed

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20-03-2012 15:41 Bob gives us his impressions of the pro7 and his theory regarding the evolution of fitness. Can you say "punctuated equilibrium?"

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Power Plate IHRSA 2012 Interview With Vitality Health

CHESTERTON A group cardio training session with celebrity trainer Brett Hoebel had about three dozen members and visitors pumped up at the Fransciscan Omni Health and Fitness Center Sunday afternoon. The facility hosted Hoebel at its annual Spring Open House.

Hoebel, who was featured in Season 11 on the popular television series, The Biggest Loser, led an intense one-hour session highlighting his high-energy style. The diverse class included personal trainers from Omnis staff as well as adults of all ages and fitness levels.

It was just one of the many activities included for the Catch the Spirit event at both the Chesterton and Schereville locations. Other celebrities attending included contestants from the The Biggest Loser season 12 and Marci Crozier, a local resident who appeared on Season 11.

A newly-decorated lounge in the womens locker room was unveiled at the open house and displays advertised the services offered in the facility. Raffles for free memberships and other prizes, tours of both locations and new fitness classes also helped draw a crowd.

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Exercisers ‘catch the spirit’ at fitness open house