Michelle Obama aims to end child obesity in a generation | Updated 2/9/2010 6:24 PM | Comments 1,632 | Recommend 29 | E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | OBESITY COMPLICATIONS | | | | | | | CHILD OBESITY RATES | | The percentage of obese children (considered those in 95 percentile or above based on growth charts) has skyrocketed since 1980.

In ages 6-11:In ages 12-19:Source: National Center for Health Statistics, part of CDC | | | | | ABOUT LET'S MOVE | | As part of first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign to fight childhood obesity, the American Academy of Pediatrics is encouraging its members to check the body mass index, a number that takes into account height and weight, of all children at every checkup. Children and parents also will get a prescription for healthy, active living that they can discuss with their doctors. | | | | | WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? | | Several top nutrition and fitness experts offer their ideas for changes that need to be made to combat childhood obesity:Clean up school food. "School food is the hottest area being addressed around childhood obesity," says Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "What is served at school is important not only because of the direct impact on children's diets, but also for the message that it sends children about healthy eating. If schools are selling all sorts of unhealthy foods, it's telling children it's OK to eat those foods whenever they want as opposed to teaching them that candy bars and soda pop are treats to be eaten occasionally."Offer healthier foods in school vending machines. "Thankfully there are a lot of schools that have switched to healthy vending, but it's important that we have nutritional standards for all foods served throughout the school," says Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokesperson for