California Earns ‘A’ for Efforts to Combat Childhood Obesity
[Posted 05/19/05]

California is the only state in the nation to be awarded an ‘A’ grade in the second annual U.S. Obesity Report Card. The state earned the ‘A’ for its efforts to combat obesity in children,. It also received a ‘B’ for its overall efforts against obesity. California had received ‘C’ grades in both categories last year.

The report card comes from the University of Baltimore’s Obesity Initiative (research by UoB's Ann Cotten, Kenneth R. Stanton, and Zoltan J. Acs). Grades were based on legislation recently introduced and/or passed in eight areas: nutrition standards; vending machine usage; body mass index measured in schools; recess and physical education; obesity programs and education; obesity research; obesity treatment in health insurance; and obesity commissions.

CMA urges physicians to get involved with local efforts to combat childhood obesity. For more information on what you can do to make a difference in the health of your community, contact the CMA Foundation. The foundation provides training and support for physicians so that they can educate and empower their communities to confront this health care challenge.

“The odds seem stacked against our children, our families and our communities,” says Elissa Maas, vice president of the CMA Foundation. “We are more overweight as a nation than ever before and our children are poised to be the first generation to live fewer years than their parents, likely not the legacy any of us wants to leave behind. There is something we can do.”

Contact: Elissa Maas, 916/551-2550 or emaas@cmanet.org