Photo by Diane Rodriquez
Graduates attending the annual Student Gathering on June 21 included (1 to r) Nikita Cole, Ameer Shamsud-Din, Sarah Addis, Monique Lane, James Anello, Ami Case,
James Cederstrom and Peter Hatch. More than 40 people attended the event to congratulate students on their scholastic achievements, from graduating elementary school
to graduating college. See the next issue of Siletz News for more details on the graduates and the gathering at Hee Hee Ulahee RV Resort in Salem, Ore.
Let’s Move! in Indian Country looks to solve problem of obesity in children
The Obama Administration recently
formed the inter-agency collaboration.
Let’s Move! in Indian Country. Par
ticipants include representatives from
the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative;
the White House Domestic Policy Coun
cil; and the Departments of the Interior,
Agriculture, Health and Human Services,
and Education.
Informed by research and recommen
dations in the President’s Childhood Obe
sity Task Force Report, the four main goals
for Let’s Move! in Indian Country are:
1. Creating a healthy start on life
2. Developing Healthy Learning
3. Communities Increasing Physical
Activity
4. Increasing Access to Affordable,
Healthy and Traditional Foods
Let’s Move! in Indian Country is a
comprehensive initiative dedicated to solv
ing the problem of obesity within a genera
tion so children bom today will grow up
healthier and able to pursue their dreams.
Elected Tribal leaders in rural and
reservation communities and other com
munity leaders such as school officials
and urban Indian center coordinators have
the ability to spur action in the areas of
health, wellness, nutrition and physical
activity. Throughout our country’s history,
Native communities have provided some
of the best examples of healthy food and
sustainable community-based practices.
Childhood obesity in America is a
national health crisis. Over the past three
decades, rates of childhood obesity in this
country have tripled and today nearly one
in three children is overweight or obese.
One-third of all children bom after 2000 will
suffer from diabetes at some point in their
lives. Many others will face chronic obesity-
related health problems like heart disease,
high blood pressure, cancer and asthma.
Obesity in Indian Country
•
A study of 4-year-olds found that
obesity is more than two times more
common among Native American/
Alaskan Native children (31 percent)
than among white (16 percent) or
Asian (13 percent) children. This
rate is higher than any other racial or
ethnic group studied.
The threat to Indian
Country is not just to health,
however. Childhood obesity
weakens the fabric of Indian
communities, putting
the next generation at * INDIAN
increased health risk and
threatening Tribal ways of life.
Overweight children are overwhelm
ingly more likely to be obese as adults and
obesity in adulthood robs the community
of active community elders. On average,
obese adults live shorter lives and are less
able to contribute to leadership roles in
their communities.
Native communities depend on their
younger generations to uphold Tribal
traditions and culture and to pass their
heritage on to the next generation. Today’s
Native youth, however, may not grow to
be as old or as active as their elders.
Maintaining lasting and vibrant com
munities in Indian Country starts with
childhood health. Healthy children are
better able to support their communities
and carry on their proud Tribal traditions.
Having fit, energetic and vibrant commu
nities is the Indian Country way and by
acting now, we can ensure this tradition
continues for generations to come.
Healthy child development habits
begin before birth. One proven strategy
for reducing the risk of obesity early in
life is to support breastfeeding. In addition
to empowering mothers to breastfeed their
babies, we need to offer healthful food
choices to young families that they can
afford. We also need to encourage physi
cal activity and healthy living at all ages.
But in today’s busy world, this isn’t
always easy. So Let’s Move! in Indian
Country offers parents and caregivers the
tools, support and information they
need to make healthier choices
while instilling healthy eating
habits in children that will
last a lifetime.
COUNTRY*
Nutrition
information
The Dietary Guide
lines for Americans, put forth by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), pro
vide science-based advice for individuals
over age 2 to promote health and reduce
the risk of major chronic diseases. The
current dietary guidelines encourage
most Americans to eat fewer calories, be
more physically active and make wiser
food choices.
Next generation food pyramid
To help Americans make healthier
food and physical activity choices, the
USDA is modifying its famous food pyra
mid. MyPyramid.gov is one of the most
popular websites in the federal government
and a 2.0 version of the website now offers
consumers a host of tools to help them put
the dietary guidelines into practice.
Pediatricians as partners
The American Academy of Pediat
rics, in collaboration with the broader
medical community, is educating doc
tors and nurses across the country about
obesity to ensure they regularly monitor
children’s BMIs (body mass index, a mea
sure of height and weight ratio), provide
counseling for healthy eating early on and,
for the first-time, write a prescription for
parents laying out the simple things they
can do to increase healthy eating and
active play.
Physical activity is an essential
component of a healthy lifestyle. In
combination with healthy eating, it can
help prevent a range of chronic diseases,
including heart disease, cancer and stroke,
which are the three leading causes of
death. Physical activity helps control
weight; builds lean muscle; reduces fat;
promotes strong bone, muscle and joint
development; and decreases the risk
of obesity.
Children need 60 minutes of play
with moderate to vigorous activity every
day to grow up to a healthy weight. If
this sounds like a lot, consider that 8- to
18-year-old adolescents spend an average
of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment
media, including TV, computers, video
games, cell phones and movies. Only
one-third of high school students get the
recommended levels of physical activity.
To increase physical activity, today’s
children need safe routes to walk and
bike ride to school, parks, playgrounds
and community centers where they can
play after school and activities like sports,
dance or fitness programs that are excit
ing and challenging enough to keep them
engaged.
Let's Move! in Indian Country aims
to increase opportunities for kids to be
physically active, both in and out of
school and to create new opportunities
for families to move together.
July 2011
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Siletz News
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