Invest in children's health, urges former US Surgeon General

June 24, 2011 in Health

David Satcher, MD, PhD, former U.S. Surgeon General, describes childhood obesity as "one of the greatest threats to child and adult health that we are facing today," calling for an intensive effort to promote child health, in an editorial in the June issue of Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

A long-time advocate in the fight against obesity, Dr. Satcher released the first Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease during his tenure in 2001. Ten years later, Dr. Satcher still sees obesity as a growing epidemic and proposes, in his editorial, five target areas in which investment would have a significant and long-term impact on improving the health and well-being of children and adults. He also identifies the key factors that contribute to childhood obesity as well as those that impede efforts to reverse this dangerous and increasing trend in the U.S.

"Dr. Satcher brings illustrious achievement, lifelong dedication, abundant passion, and the view from altitude to this issue," says David L. Katz, MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief of , and Director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "When he speaks, all concerned with the well-being of children should listen. We are honored and privileged that on this occasion, he is speaking from the pulpit of our journal."

Provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

New rice contamination reported in China

Authorities are investigating rice mills in southern China following tests that found almost half of the staple grain in one of the country's largest cities was contaminated with a toxic metal.

Health created 1 hour ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Warning images for cigarette packs do not make a strong enough emotional impact

The warning images Brussels proposes to include on tobacco packages in order to reduce consumption do not make the desired impact on smokers because they only find some of them really unpleasant. So, if the ...

Health created 2 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Cancer and birth defects in Iraq: The nuclear legacy

Ten years after the Iraq war of 2003 a team of scientists based in Mosul, northern Iraq, have detected high levels of uranium contamination in soil samples at three sites in the province of Nineveh which, coupled with dramatically ...

Health created 2 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Dirty jokes the best medicine

When it comes to men's sexual health, dirty jokes may just be the best medicine. A QUT researcher is helping Family Planning Queensland (FPQ) use comedy and YouTube to deliver sexuality education to young ...

Health created 3 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Salt consumption in India: The need for data to initiate population-based prevention efforts

(Medical Xpress)—International researchers are studying the salt intake of Indian adults to provide vital new data to aid the development of a national salt reduction strategy.

Health created 3 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Study shows where scene context happens in our brain

In a remote fishing community in Venezuela, a lone fisherman sits on a cliff overlooking the southern Caribbean Sea. This man –– the lookout –– is responsible for directing his comrades on the water, ...

Monoclonal antibody appears effective and safe in asthma Phase IIa trial

A novel approach to obstructing the runaway inflammatory response implicated in some types of asthma has shown promise in a Phase IIa clinical trial, according to U. S. researchers.

Exercise levels may predict hospitalizations in COPD population

Clinical measurement of physical activity appears to be an independent predictor of whether or not patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will end up being hospitalized, according to a new study conducted ...

Delayed transfer to the ICU increases risk of death in hospital patients

Delayed transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU) in hospitalized patients significantly increases the risk of dying in the hospital, according to a new study from researchers in Chicago.

Treatment with A1-PI slows the progression of emphysema in Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Treatment with an Alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (A1-PI), a naturally occurring protein that protects lung tissue from breakdown and protects the lung's elasticity, is effective in slowing the progression of emphysema in patients ...

Racial disparities in the surgical management of non-small cell lung cancer

The surgical management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in U.S. hospitals varies widely depending on the race of the patient, according to a new study.