Metro International
June 6, 2008
Childhood obesity is costing Massachusetts hundreds of millions of dollars in medical costs each year. Yet, even finding accurate data on heights and weights remain hard to come by.
The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation (HPHCF) has put in play a social change model that tackles this divide and treats childhood obesity as a problem that not only faces kids snacking on the couch but the future of the American work force.
The release of Thursday’s report, “Tipping the Scales,” analyzed the problem in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire on a comprehensive level, identifying ‘stakeholders’ in the issue beyond parents and the kids themselves.