Childhood obesity is increasing, and experts have suggested that this is due in part to changes in our environment.  Cities and towns are not being designed for walking to stores or to schools.  Drive-through restaurants, cable and satellite television and increasing crime keep people in their cars and on the couch.

Finding affordable, nutritious foods can also be difficult.  It can be harder to find fresh fruit and vegetables than salty and sweet snacks, especially where convenience stores take the place of full-service supermarkets.  It can be harder to find a working water fountain or ice water than sodas and other sweetened beverages. Foods that are most readily available and lowest in cost may not be the best for your health.

By working as a community, the environment can be transformed into one more conducive to healthy eating and activity.  For example:

• Identify neighbors, friends and relatives who are interested in working together to make the community a healthier place for children
• Work with school administrators, teachers, PTA boards and principals to assure that healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, are served in school lunch programs
• Encourage city officials to maintain parks and offer programs for kids to stay active
• Organize block parties and neighborhood watch patrols to help make communities safer.