Kentucky hospital highlights new strategies to combat childhood obesity during awareness month

Norton Children’s in Bowling Green, Kentucky, marks Childhood Obesity Awareness Month by emphasising small daily habits, such as diet, outdoor activity, and modelling behaviour, to tackle rising obesity rates among children and adolescents in the US.

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Norton Children’s is using Childhood Obesity Awareness Month to push a simple message to families: small daily habits can add up. Sarah Mayfield, a paediatrician and internal medicine doctor with Norton Children’s Hospital, said the region is likely to rank high for childhood obesity, underscoring a problem that health officials say affects roughly one in five children and adolescents in the United States.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says about 14.7 million young people aged 2 to 19 have obesity, with rates rising as children get older. The agency also says obesity is linked to higher medical costs for families and the health system, and that the burden is not evenly shared, with higher prevalence among Hispanic and Black children and among those from lower-income households.

Mayfield said diet is often the first place parents can make changes, though cost can be a barrier. Processed and ultra-processed foods are frequently cheaper and easier to pack than fresh options, she said, which can make it harder for families to build healthier routines. She also said many parents tell her they manage fruit more easily than vegetables, a sign that even well-meaning households can struggle to keep meals balanced.

For that reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC both promote the 5-2-1-0 approach: five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, two hours or less of recreational screen time, at least one hour of physical activity, and zero sugary drinks. The CDC says those habits can help children reach and maintain a healthy weight while building routines that last into adulthood.

Mayfield said parents have to model the behaviour they want to see. Family meals, time outdoors, active hobbies and cutting back on sugar, she said, can all help. The CDC adds that schools also play an important role, since nutrition and physical activity policies can support healthier outcomes for students across the board.