Childhood obesity is a serious problem across our nation. Fortunately, help is coming, with the first lady herself joining the fight.

Michelle Obama was recently named honorary chair of the newly formed Partnership for a Healthier America. Founded by six leading foundations and [...]]]>

Childhood obesity is a serious problem across our nation. Fortunately, help is coming, with the first lady herself joining the fight.

Michelle Obama was recently named honorary chair of the newly formed Partnership for a Healthier America. Founded by six leading foundations and nonprofits, including Kaiser Permanente, this organization was formed to combat childhood obesity.

The four pillars of the first lady's plan

Earlier this month, Michelle Obama laid out the four pillars of her nationwide initiative to fight childhood obesity. Her "Let's Move" campaign will address the issue in the following four ways:

• offering parents the tools and information they need to make healthy choices for their kids
• getting healthier food into our nation's schools
• ensuring that all our families have access to healthy, affordable food in their communities
• increasing opportunities for kids to be physically active, both in and out of school

Good health is in our DNA

"In every community we serve, Kaiser Permanente works to fight obesity, reduce health disparities, and make healthy food and physical activity a part of everyday life," said Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, Kaiser Permanente's senior vice president, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy.

From extending access to public pools and providing swim lessons for thousands of Southern California families through Operation Splash to sponsoring farmers' markets in local communities across the country, we've long supported healthy eating and physical activity as part of our integrated approach to combat childhood obesity.

Ultimately, our biggest partner in this battle is you. Visit our Healthy Kids section for a collection of helpful posts, including how to determine the appropriate weight for your child by calculating their body mass index.

To read our full statement on this important issue, visit our News Center.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and it's calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of health for most people, including children and teens.

Pediatrician Marla Abrolat, MD, says it is an important number that parents can use to gauge and help improve the health of [...]]]> BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and it's calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of health for most people, including children and teens.

Pediatrician Marla Abrolat, MD, says it is an important number that parents can use to gauge and help improve the health of their children.

"We calculate BMI and then obtain a percentile ranking that shows parents where their children stand," she says. "Especially in regard to weight."

But Dr. Abrolat cautions that BMI isn't just about an arbitrary weight measurement and it doesn't mean that children should be skipping meals and not "putting food in the tank."

For growing children and teens the most important percentile is BMI-for-age, which takes growth, age, and sex into account.

One way to determine BMI-for-age is to start by calculating your child's BMI. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a simple BMI calculator that you can use online.

Children and teens aged 2 through 19 years should be screened to determine if they are overweight or obese. If your child’s BMI indicates that there may be a problem, there are steps that can be taken immediately. But remember, BMI is not the only diagnostic tool to determine the health of your child or teen. Schedule a visit with you pediatrician for more information.

Learn more details from the CDC on BMI and see sample growth charts.

Your weight may increase your risk of death more than previously thought. A new study finds that being extremely obese or extremely underweight increases your risk of dying.

Being only slightly overweight eliminated much of that risk, say researchers, but don’t take that as an excuse to add extra [...]]]> Your weight may increase your risk of death more than previously thought. A new study finds that being extremely obese or extremely underweight increases your risk of dying.

Being only slightly overweight eliminated much of that risk, say researchers, but don’t take that as an excuse to add extra pounds.

"Our study only looked at mortality, not at quality of life, and there are many negative health consequences associated with obesity, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes," says Mark Kaplan, coauthor of the study and a professor of community health at Portland State University.

Doctor recommendation: Good health is more than your BMI number.

Calculating your body mass index (BMI) is a quick way to learn whether or not you're at a healthy weight for your height. Maintaining your weight within a healthy range will help you avoid serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Calculate your BMI.