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Preventing & Stopping Childhood Obesity

From the Show: Healthy Children
Summary: Childhood obesity is a national health epidemic and doctors are calling for an emergency.
Air Date: 7/1/15
Duration: 10
Host: Melanie Cole, MS
Guest Bio: Corinn Cross, MD
cori crossDr. Corinn Cross was born and raised in New Jersey. She attended Barnard College where she graduated cum laude and majored in philosophy. She went on to attend the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, NJ, where she was selected for the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Cross did her internship and residency in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Cross has continued to work at CHLA as a general pediatrics attending.

Dr. Cross is actively involved in her local AAP, Chapter 2, where she is an obesity champion. She is co-founder of the Fit to Play and Learn Obesity Prevention curriculum. Through a collaboration between AAP Chapter 2 and the L.A. Unified School District this curriculum is being used to educate at-risk students and their parents on the risks of obesity and to help them to lead healthier lives. Dr. Cross is an AAP Spokesperson and speaks to children throughout the L.A. school district about obesity, healthy lifestyles and the benefits of walking to school.

Dr. Cross is a member of the Executive Board for the AAP's Council on Communications and Media. She is the Editor of the Council on Communications and Media's blog.
Preventing & Stopping Childhood Obesity
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), obesity leads to shorter life spans, lower quality of life, and numerous chronic medical problems, many of which now begin during childhood.

Experts fear that the current generation of children might live shorter lives than their parents due to the long-term effects of obesity.

BMI (Body Mass Index) is a way to measure your child's risk for obesity. The rating is based on your child's weight and height.

The AAP advises that if a child's BMI is at or above the 85th percentile, he or she falls under the overweight category. This is a risk factor for obesity and other future medical problems.

What if your child is already overweight? How can you help prevent more weight gain and the risk of obesity?

Cori Cross, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the childhood obesity crisis and how you can prevent and stop obesity in your child.
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