Panel emphasizes childhood obesity fight

As a health and physical education instructor at West Hempstead High School, Robert Gewirtz is making fighting childhood obesity a priority.

"We are doing lifetime skills, teaching them about health," Gewirtz said. "We are also getting them into the weight room. Our goal is prevention."

The ongoing concern of childhood obesity was the focus of a community forum Thursday hosted by Stop & Shop on Cherry Valley Road in West Hempstead.

Gewirtz was among the attendees, along with Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.

"It's crucial to look into what can be done to fix this problem," Mangano said. "We need to break this trend."

The panel stressed that a reasonable diet and appropriate physical activity are important for children who have lost sight of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Replacing fatty foods and sugary soft drinks with fruits and vegetables can greatly alter the health of children and will benefit them in the future, according to the panelists.

Arlene Putterman, coordinator of Stop & Shop's childhood obesity initiative, emphasized that federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's statistics on obesity are alarming.

Putterman noted that obesity among 6- to 11-year-olds has increased from 9.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent today. Obesity in kids 12 to 19 has increased from 5 to 18 percent during that time, she said.

Obesity among children in the United States has more than tripled in the past 30 years, according to the CDC.

"These are not statistics," Putterman said. "These are our children."

Gewirtz said his school has addressed obesity by serving better food and improving physical education.

"We have reduced portion size, added a salad bar and cut down on french fries," he said. "We serve whole-wheat bagels, baking our chicken fingers instead of frying them, and [we] provide healthy wraps."

Come gym time, Gewirtz says it's easy for kids to get lazy, but he has tried to "make it fun."