Kentucky.com
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
By Tom Breen
Associated Press Writer
When acting Surgeon General Steven Galson surveys the growing problem of childhood obesity, he sees "a national catastrophe." That's why he came to West Virginia, which has the unhappy distinction of having the nation's heaviest children.
"You do have a problem with childhood obesity, and everyone knows it," Galson told a gathering of doctors, teachers, parents and politicians at the state Cultural Center on Tuesday.
Galson chose the state to launch the new national "Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future" campaign partly because West Virginia, along with Kentucky, has the highest percentage of overweight children in the country, according to the National Survey of Children's Health.
Galson came to West Virginia because the people of the state have been trying innovative new strategies to fix the problem, which is what he wants the new national initiative to highlight.