Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) is offering a “Healthy Choices Act” as part of a campaign against obesity in children and adults.
Dr. Aaron Carrel with the UW Pediatric Fitness Clinic says the proposal is a good way to try and fight an epidemic that affects much of the nation. At least two-thirds of adults and one in three children are considered overweight or obese.
Carrel says the bill would provide incentives for schools, at home, and around the community to make healthy decisions about food and exercise. The proposal would also have doctors begin tracking the Body Mass Index (BMI) of children, to help identify when they’re at risk of becoming obese. Carrel says treating BMI as a vital sign could empower parents to take action early on.
Kind plans to introduce the plan in Congress later this spring.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:14)
