Fight Childhood Obesity- Send Kids to Camp!

Hi everyone!  I'm a pediatrician, a Camp Jorn alumni and a member of the Camp Jorn YMCA board of directors.  This September, I am running the Naperville Trails Half Marathon.  Through running, I want to bring awareness to our country's epidemic of childhood obesity.    According to the American Heart Association, 1 in 3 children today are overweight or obese.  This more than tripled between 1971 and 2011. Looking at American children ages 2-19, 17.5% of Caucasion males, 22.6% of African American males and 28.9% of mexican American males are obese.  Meanwhile, 14.7% of Caucasion females, 24.8% of African American Females and 18.6% of Mexican American females are obese.  Because of the increased obesity, we are now seeing children with high blood pressure type two diabetes and increased cholesterol.  As a general pediatrician, I counsel patients and families about healthy weight, nutrition and exercise daily.  

Camp is a great way for children to be active.  Campers spend a whole week in the beautiful North Woods of Wisconsin.  Children have the opportunity to swim, water ski, canoe, kayak and go overnight camping.  There are group games of capture the flag and cabin games of kickball.  America's obesity problem will not be solved overnight, but the first step is to get children active.  Let's gets kids away from the screens and out into nature.  

 Camp Jorn  YMCA raises money every year to send children to camp.   Please consider donating, so that every child can have the opportunity to attend.  Let's fight childhood obesity together!