American Heart Association and Bill Clinton

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This blog is one component of my efforts that’s focused on childhood obesity. Here I review recent media reports related to this topic and try to clarify the confusing, contradictory and inaccurate information that’s so prevalent. My goal if for you to understand the fundamental and unchanging truths about child weight management so you can be confident you’re doing the right thing to support your child’s health.
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Why would the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association team up?

You probably know because it’s been all over the news since they formed the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in 2005. Their goal? — to combat childhood obesity.

The first thing they accomplished in May of 2006 was to negotiate an agreement with beverage industry leaders to sell only water, unsweetened juice, and low-fat/nonfat milk in elementary and middle schools.

Then, in October of 2006, they announced a deal with several food companies to make school snacks healthier. Under the guidelines, some of the major snack-food companies (Kraft, Mars, Campbel Soup, PepsiCo) agreed to not sell foods that derive more than 35 percent of their calories from fat and more than 10 percent from saturated fat — and that have more than 35% of their content as sugar.

So Snickers bars are out — at least with its current formula.

So, what do you think? Is this the answer to childhood obesity?

Personally, I don’t think so. First, we can be pretty sure that the food companies will develop snack foods that are just below the agreed-to thresholds for fat and sugar. But, more importantly, I doubt school snacks are one of the primary causes of kids being overweight.

What Clinton and the AHA are doing is certainly admirable — but not because it’s going to solve the significant problem of childhood obesity.

Allen Oelschlaeger
Author of The Straight Scoop About Childhood Obesity