Our Comments to the Task Force on Childhood Obesity

by Neena Chaudhry, Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center

Last week, the Center submitted two sets of comments to the Task Force on Childhood Obesity, which was recently established by President Obama.

The Task Force asked for public input to assist it in making recommendations on public and private sector steps that can be taken to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity. As the President noted, nearly one-third of our nation’s children are overweight or obese, and one in three people born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes during their lifetime, among other chronic health problems. He set a goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation, and the First Lady has launched an accompanying public awareness campaign. They are going to need all the help they can get in order to reach this lofty goal, so we decided to weigh in.

The education and employment group (of which I am proud to be a part) submitted comments focusing on the role that athletics plays in obesity reduction among young women, and the need for greater enforcement of Title IX to ensure that women and girls receive equal opportunities to benefit from sports. You can read more about what we said here.

In addition, Helen Blank, our Director of Leadership and Public Policy, submitted comments highlighting the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and how it can be improved to increase access to nutritious food for young children. You can read more about what Helen said here.