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.

Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a number of Kaiser Permanente physicians and nurses who are trained in disaster relief have been on the front lines, helping in every way possible.

Many of our caregivers are sharing their moving, firsthand stories on the blog "Dispatches from Haiti." Visit the [...]]]> Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, a number of Kaiser Permanente physicians and nurses who are trained in disaster relief have been on the front lines, helping in every way possible.

Many of our caregivers are sharing their moving, firsthand stories on the blog "Dispatches from Haiti." Visit the blog for updates, and feel free to leave an encouraging comment.

For Kaiser Permanente employees

Literally thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees have expressed interest in joining the relief effort. Physicians, nurses, and other support staff should visit the “For the People of Kaiser Permanente” section in the right navigation of the blog for a link to an internal site where you can learn more about the relief efforts and how to get involved.