Former President Clinton addressed an assembly of radiologists at the 96th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, in Chicago. He spoke of an accomplishment, his initiation of awareness and institution of changes in the diet of our nation’s children. He re-focused awareness on being healthier. Clinton was proud of the changes that were occurring within the nation’s schools in which sugary drinks, fattening chips and other unhealthy snacks were being replaced with water and fresh fruit.

Childhood overweight is a serious health concern for children and adolescents in this country and around the world. Since 1980, obesity has more than doubled among children ages 2-5 and more than tripled among youth ages 6-11 and adolescents ages 12-19. Much of this increase in overweight is attributable to sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits.

First lady, Michelle Obama told Good Morning America host Robin Roberts: “We want to eliminate this problem of childhood obesity in a generation.”

Former first Lady Bush spoke  at the November 2007  National Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Summit of the Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative . “Good health starts with good habits.  By educating ourselves about our bodies — and by taking simple steps to protect them — we can prevent or delay some of today’s most common and devastating health conditions.”

Three Healthy Habits To Prevent Childhood Obesity:

1. Eat together as a family. “Children who eat dinner with their parents at least five times a week tend to weigh less and have healthier eating habits,” says Goutham Rao, MD, clinical director of the weight management center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and author of Child Obesity: A Parent’s Guide to a Fit, Trim, and Happy Child (Prometheus Books, 2006).  “When families eat together, meals are typically healthier than when the child just grabs food on the run without adult supervision.”

2.) Turn off the television, video games and other electronic distractions. Having meals in front of the television or computer screen encourages mindless overeating. Instead of vegging out in front of the tube, take an after dinner walk or play an physically active game together to boost family fitness.

3.) Make sure children get enough sleep in a room without light. A tired child is less physically active, so burns fewer calories and increases the probability to become overweight.Below is a chart for the required amount of sleep for children at different ages.

• Infants (3 to 11 months): 14 to 15 hours
• Toddlers: 12 to 14 hours
• Preschoolers: 11 to 13 hours
• School-age children: 10 to 11 hours