Childhood obesity is a global issue, not just one in the U.S. The International Union Against Cancer (UICC) initiated a five-year campaign to raise awareness about the ways we can prevent cancer through the choices we make. This year, the focus is to encourage an energy-balanced lifestyle based on a healthy diet and physical activity. The 2009 campaign is called, “I love my healthy active childhood; giving children the best chance of a cancer-free future”.
Their key message is that there is strong evidence to support the link between nutrition, body weight and cancer as outlined in the comprehensive report: Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A global perspective published by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) in 2007. They encourage eating a diet made up mostly of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Plant-based diets tend to be high in a variety of nutrients believed to reduce cancer risk and tend to be low in energy density, thus ideal in helping maintain a healthy weight. They recommend eating at least five portions of non-starchy vegetables and fruits every day.
Their conclusion? Healthy eating is essential to sustaining life; good nutrition is vital to cancer prevention.
We all have a role to play in helping kids eat a healthy diet: parents, care-givers, health workers, teachers, community leaders and policymakers, and national and local governments. Adults must take the lead. Policies must be changed, school and family programs must be developed and effectively implemented, healthy eating must be encouraged and rewarded.
In Australia, a non-profit organization called Parent’s Jury is effectively banding together to make prominent changes on the national level around food marketing, foods and drinks allowed at schools, and education programs for everyone. For more info, go to http://www.parentsjury.org.au/.
More details can be found in the UICC report “A healthy active childhood: giving children the best chance of a cancer-free future”. The report and other materials can be found at www.worldcancercampaign.org.
We all know that healthy habits formed early in life can have a significant impact in later years. We have learned that by introducing good nutrition to our children we can affect eating habits. Please visit www.childrenshealthstudy.com and www.sherryfritz.com to learn a simple and easy way to get the nutrition of fruits and vegetables in your diet and your children for FREE!
We are making a difference in our kids’ lives, one child at a time; one family at a time.
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