Articles
Policy Change As An Impetus To Stem Childhood Obesity
Posted: 11.02.07 by to HP/HP
The end of childhood obesity in Delaware most likely began on October 1, 2007, at the Forest Oak Elementary School in Newark, DE. And very few kids were in attendance. In a gymnasium festooned with balloons, banners, and bunting – evoking the tell-tale signs of a political rally – Governor Ruth Ann Minner and more than 125 policymakers and community leaders from throughout the state pledged to make Delaware’s kids the healthiest in the nation.
It was a stirring event, with many on the dais and in the audience expressing heartfelt verbal commitments to create the motivation, opportunity, and ability for kids to eat healthy and be more physically active. But beyond the campaign rally symbolism of the day, and beyond the speeches, was something even more profound: there was a very real, visibly tangible sense that the many leaders assembled within the cinderblock walls of the school gym were compelled to take action – and to do so beginning yesterday.
In the U.S. today, there are more than 30 national initiatives underway to stem the epidemic of childhood obesity. Some are led by government agencies, some are sponsored by advocacy groups, some are funded by corporations, and some are managed by foundations. In addition, most states have in place an effort to address this health crisis. What all of those campaigns – including the recently launched Delaware initiative, led by Nemours Health & Prevention Services (NHPS) – have in common is the desire to create behavioral change among children and their families.
Yet, most of those campaigns stop there. What makes Delaware’s effort so distinctive is that it also acknowledges the critical role of policy change as an impetus to create environments in which behavioral change can occur. And this policy change can take place on different levels – through statewide legislation to mandate reductions in screen time at child care centers as well as through local efforts to increase opportunities for healthier foods and beverages in schools, expand access to fruits and vegetables in communities, and create safe and accessible places to play and be physically active, among other endeavors.
The underlying rationale for this philosophy, the notion that policy change and behavior change are inextricably linked, is that when it comes to taking the necessary steps to eating healthy and being more physically active – and ultimately reducing childhood obesity – “our kids can’t do it alone.”
And it is that realization, which is at the core of NHPS’ mission, that inspired a broad swath of the state’s policymakers and community leaders to join forces on October 1.