Active Together: Fighting Childhood Obesity as a Family

Childhood Obesity: A Global, Since 1980, US childhood obesity has

National, and Local Health Crisis more than tripled from 5.5% to 18.5%1.
If this current trend continues, the loss of
Obese children are far more likely to:
productivity and obesity-related health
 Become obese adults3 care costs and are estimated to exceed
 Develop chronic health problems such as $500 billion2
diabetes and heart disease3
 Suffer from lower self-esteem and overall
quality of life3 Obesity Rates in Ypsilanti,
Washtenaw County, and US
 Have lower academic performances than
35
their non-overweight peers4
Percentage of Total Population (%)
30
The Tremendous Influence of 25
Parental Behavior on Children 20

 Children with obese parents are 3.2 times 15

5
more likely to be obese , while children with 10

active parents are 5.8 times more likely to 5

6
be active themselves 0
Ypsilanti Washtenaw US
 Adult obesity rates are higher in Ypsilanti
Adults Children
than Washtenaw or the US1,7

What is Active Together?

 Active Together combats childhood obesity by utilizing different Ypsilanti recreation areas and
promoting enjoyable forms of physical activity
 Every weekend, Active Together organizes family-oriented activities and provides healthy
snacks to encourage children and their parents to have fun and be active!
 Family-centered physical activity programs have been shown to be effective at reducing BMI
and preventing weight gain8. The Obama administration’s Let’s Move initiative promoted similar
goals, stating that families engaging in physical activity foster an environment where children gain
the skills to be physically active and are motivated to continue being active in the future9

Active Together provides fun, healthy activities for families and the
opportunity for parents to be positive role models for their children while
becoming healthier themselves
 Landon Wood

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm.
2. The George Washington University School of Public Health and Services (2014). Fast Facts:
The Cost of Obesity. http://stopobesityalliance.org/wp-
content/themes/stopobesityalliance/pdfs/Fast%20Facts%20Cost%20of%20Obesity.pdf
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). Childhood Obesity Facts.
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
4. Carey, F. R., Singh, G. K., Brown III, H. S., & Wilkinson, A. V. (2015). Educational outcomes
associated with childhood obesity in the United States: cross-sectional results from the 2011–
2012 National Survey of Children’s Health. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and
Physical Activity, 12(1), S3.
5. Liu, Y., Chen, H. J., Liang, L., & Wang, Y. (2013). Parent-child resemblance in weight status
and its correlates in the United States. PloS one, 8(6), e65361.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065361
6. Moore, L. L., Lombardi, D. A., White, M. J., Campbell, J. L., Oliveria, S. A., & Ellison, R. C.
(1991). Influence of parents' physical activity levels on activity levels of young children. The
Journal of pediatrics, 118(2), 215-219.
7. Washtenaw Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan (2013).
https://washtenaw.org/DocumentCenter/Views?5138/Building-a-Healthier-Washtenaw
8. Timperio, A., Salmon, J. O., Ball, K., Baur, L. A., Telford, A., Jackson, M., ... & Crawford, D.
(2008). Family physical activity and sedentary environments and weight change in
children. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 3(3), 160-167.
9. Let’s Move! America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Children. Active Families.
https://letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/active-families