Nemours Celebrates National Child Health Day Be Healthy and Be Active for a Healthy Future

Pensacola, Florida
Monday, October 06, 2008 @ 11:21 AM EDT
by: Cortney Owens; (850) 505-4739; cowens@nemours.org

Pensacola, FL – On October 6, the 80th annual Child Health Day, the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration and Nemours Children’s Clinic challenges parents, caregivers, teachers, school nurses and all adults who care about kids to grapple with a serious health issue: childhood overweight and obesity.

Child Health Recent studies suggest that 1 in 6 U.S. children between 2 and 19 is overweight. Childhood obesity is an even more serious – and growing – health concern for children and adolescents. In less than 30 years, obesity has more than doubled among children ages 2-5 and more than tripled among youth ages 6-11 and adolescents ages 12-19.

Nemours Children’s Clinic Pensacola is celebrating National Child Health Day on October 6 by distributing apples and facts about living healthier lifestyles:

Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day,
Watch two or fewer hours of screen time a day,
Get one or more hours of physical activity a day,
And drink almost no sugary beverages.

Health consequences can be serious. Overweight kids are at risk for asthma, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions. “These medical conditions are serious and the consequences lifelong. The good news is that with lifestyle changes the children can be healthy and not suffer many years with these problems," says Mark Kummer, MD, Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Nemours Children’s Clinic Pensacola.

Fortunately, many times overweight can be reversed or prevented by helping children and adolescents

Stay active.
Develop healthy eating habits.
Make healthy choices.

“The complications due to obesity in children can be easily be prevented by engaging in regular physical activity at least 30 min a day and also adopting healthier eating habits from the start. Once obesity sets in, it is much harder to reverse, especially at adolescence, says Michele Zerah, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at Nemours Children’s Clinic Pensacola. “However a weight loss of 5 to 10% of weight may have significant health benefits and prevent diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary disease and joint problems. So it is never too late to start!”

What is the best way a parent can help? Be a role model. When children see their parents, caregivers and other adults enjoying healthy foods and being physically active, they are more likely to do the same.

For more information, visit:

modified: Monday, October 06, 2008 @ 11:30 AM EDT
created: Monday, October 06, 2008 @ 11:25 AM EDT

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.