When speaking about children's health at the Childhood Obesity Forum on Wednesday, Tennessee Commissioner of Tennessee Department of Health Susan Cooper announced that "nothing is more important than (the problem) we are facing today."
The National Forum, held in Langford Auditorium, brought together members of the Nashville community, the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and the Federal Communications Commission Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity to discuss the effects of television programming on children's health habits.
Vanderbilt has recently joined in the effort to improve Nashville children's health with the creation of Healthy Head Start (HHS), the only club on campus that deals with nutrition. Juniors Brian Mayrsohn and Christy Hamilton founded the club at the beginning of this year. The club's advisor is School of Nursing Lecturer Jamie Pope.
Mayroshn got the idea to start a nutritional community outreach club this summer and began spreading the word when he arrived back at school this year. The first meeting, held in the second week of school, drew 17 members, and since then the numbers have grown.
"The point of the club is not to stop obesity, it is to get kids to eat healthier and live healthier ... The way to stop (obesity) is to not allow it to happen," said Mayroshn.
Although HHS has run into obstacles, including a lack of funding and a communication issue with local schools, the group has created a series of lesson plans they hope to teach a target age group of third to fifth graders.
Tennessee ranks in the top four states for highest child BMI, according to Director of Vanderbilt Children's Health Improvement and Prevention Mary Kate Mouser.
Reactions to the obesity problem in Tennessee have included outreach health programs like Get Fit Tennessee, a statewide program developed by Gov. Phil Bredesen.
"By the year 2018, we will be the first state in the nation in which all students will graduate at a healthy weight ... you have to dream big," said Cooper, explaining the program's goal.
