[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 71 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S5593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WEIGHT GAIN PREVENTION IN CHILDREN

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, one of my great passions as a Senator has 
been advocating for children and advancing initiatives that improve 
their health and welfare. I wish to share with my colleagues the 
results of a new study, funded in part by the National Institutes of 
Health, which reports on two simple steps that can be taken to counter 
a serious health crisis among America's youth.
  The crisis is obesity among all ages and most seriously among 
children. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported last 
month that one-third of all children in the United States are either 
overweight or dangerously close to becoming so and, as a result, are at 
increased risk of becoming obese adults and developing diabetes and 
other health problems.
  A new ``America on the Move Family Study,'' presented at the 
Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, April 30, 2006, provides the 
first clinical evidence that overweight children can effectively 
prevent additional weight gain by making small changes to their daily 
lifestyle. The study was conducted by the University of Colorado at 
Denver and Health Sciences Center, the primary research arm for America 
On the Move Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping 
individuals and communities across the country improve health and 
quality of life. This study was designed to evaluate whether overweight 
children could reduce their risk of gaining additional weight through a 
combination of increasing physical activity and eliminating 100 
calories a day from their diet.
  In the study, investigators randomized 216 families with at least 1 
overweight child to either a lifestyle intervention group or a control 
group. Families in the intervention group were asked to eliminate 100 
calories a day from their diet by emphasizing a reduction of dietary 
sugar and an increase in physical activity by 2,000 steps daily. 
Families in the control groups were asked to monitor their diet and 
exercise levels. After 6 months, significantly more overweight children 
in the intervention group maintained or reduced their percent body mass 
index, BMI, compared to the self-monitoring group, 67 percent versus 53 
percent.
  The results of this study are striking. By taking two simple, common 
sense steps--engaging in more physical activity and reducing caloric 
intake by small amounts--families can help their children control 
weight gain and reduce obesity. Such steps can have an enormous impact 
on their health. I applaud this study for bringing this important 
message to the public's attention.

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