October 2007
Letter From Our Chair
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L. Lyndon Key, MD
Professor and Chairman
Department of Pediatrics |
Dear faculty, Children's Hospital staff and other friends,
Perhaps, America has faced no more frustrating epidemic than the epidemic of obesity in children. If we look at the average body mass index ((wt in kg)/(ht)2), body mass index anchored after the 1990 census demonstrates that over 30% of all children are obese. This rapid and disturbing trend has led to many projects and programs, but we have only just begun to make a dent in reversing this trend. Traditional programs emphasizing diet and exercise have not been effective. This suggests that the "thumb" exercise generation is not the only cause. The fact that society has become more sedentary (watching every football game on Sunday versus playing in the yard) and has also decided to "super size" everything-happy meals, sodas, cookies, and ourselves.
There are a number of new programs that are getting started in South Carolina that have a chance to stem the tide of increasing obesity. One is a program funded by the Duke Endowment (SCICORD) or South Carolina Institute for Childhood Obesity and Related Disorders and another is a fun iteration of this, the "Lean Team." In the lean team, they go out and rout out the evil calories and smash them out of the diet. This concept of using marketing-type concepts could hit us where we live.
Over the next few years, you will see changes to correct this major health problem. If we succeed, then we will have a chance to reduce health costs and extend the life span, as we have seen in every generation during the past 100 years. If we do not, our medical resources will become an unbearable burden for future generations.
It is ironic that partaking in the bounty of vegetables, fruits, and meats that are available in our rich land can allow us to bypass the sugars and deep-fat frying that has been the trademark of the fast food revolution. It is also remarkable that getting out and enjoying running, swimming, yard work, and athletic competition can give us pleasure, as well as, a leaner body.
It is up to us, working together to create an anti-obesity revolution that will ensure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Think lean!
Sincerely,
L. Lyndon Key, MD
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
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