Health Awareness Announcement
Celebrate September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and Fruit & Veggies Month
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and Fruit & Veggies – More Matters Month. Both of these events highlight the importance of positive eating choices to help reduce the high rates of childhood obesity. The rate of childhood obesity has risen dramatically over the past four decades. However, a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found drops in obesity rates for preschool-aged children in many states.1 These decreases show that the epidemic of childhood obesity can be reversed. The obesity rate among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children is currently 31%, compared to 16% of white children.2 Obesity puts children at greater risk of many health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.2
Childhood Obesity Awareness Month is a nationwide movement to increase awareness of the epidemic of childhood obesity. Visit the Childhood Obesity Awareness Month website to learn more about activities and outreach; download a toolkit with ideas for your community. Other ideas for helping kids eat right, get active and reduce screen time are available through We Can! online.
Also during the month of September, the CDC promotes healthier eating through its Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month. Look for fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables like grapes, pomegranates, squash, and Swiss chard. The CDC recommends filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. Find healthy recipe ideas, tips and facts about fruits and vegetables on the Fruits & Veggies – More Matters website. There’s even a Food Champs game and information center meant just for kids.
For AI/AN-specific resources to help prevent and combat childhood obesity, check out First Lady Michelle Obama’s special initiative: Let’s Move! in Indian Country. The Indian Health Service promotes healthy lifestyles through its program: Healthy Weight for Life. More information can be found on the Healthy Weight for Life website. AI/AN resources from the National Library of Medicine about keeping physically fit are also available.
Make the most of the focus on childhood obesity in September and use these resources to create healthy changes among the children in your community.
1. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. (2013). Progress on Childhood Obesity: Many States Show Declines. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from
2. Let’s Move: The Facts for American Indian/Alaska Natives. Retrieved from