'ELMO,' U.S. SENATORS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN FOR SLIMMER KIDS

Gannett News Service
May 21, 2004

WASHINGTON -- With almost one in three American children packing too many pounds, "Sesame Street" muppets Elmo and Rosita went to Capitol Hill on Thursday to join senators in kicking off a national campaign to trim waistlines.

The effort called "Healthy Habits for Life" promotes nutrition and fitness among preschool children to avert the battle of the bulge now faced by 127 million adults.

"We have to reach people at those teaching moments of life," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a surgeon who has treated the complications that arise from obesity, including heart and lung disease and Type II diabetes.

"Sometimes it's a challenge for parents to instill healthy habits in our children, but when preschoolers get good advice from their friends on Sesame Street, you know they'll listen," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Frist noted that the nation has seen a dramatic rise in obesity over the past two decades. The federal government estimates that 300,000 people a year die from problems stemming from obesity, and the health care costs associated with the condition amounts to $117 billion a year.

The obesity trend can be reversed with aggressive education of parents and children, said Gary Knell, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit educational organization that addresses childhood development issues.

The group has teamed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, PBS Kids, Parenting Magazine, the Ad Council and the National Association for the Education of Young Children and others to produce healthy habits messages. Their theme: "Happy, Healthy Monsters."

Knell said poor eating habits and too little physical activity are the chief causes of the rise in obesity. He said the campaign calls for using "Sesame Street" to teach kids about exercise, good health and nutrition through advertising, books, home videos and interactive media.

"While the 'Sesame Street' curriculum has always included lessons on keeping one's body healthy, it's time for us to ramp up our efforts," Knell said. He applauded Frist, an avid runner who has participated in numerous marathons, for being "an unwavering advocate for improving children's health."

Knell also saluted Wyden, a former Stanford University basketball player. Wyden and Frist intend to introduce legislation calling for community-based activities to reduce obesity in schoolchildren. The measure would seek $2.5 billion to create a congressional council that would promote best practices to fight obesity.