The organization that I’ve selected for this month is Action for Healthy Kids. We have problem in America and it involves obesity and under nourishment of children. It’s a health epidemic that needs to be dealt with and Action for Healthy Kids is addressing the problem for a healthier future.

Action for Healthy Kids addresses childhood undernourishment, obesity and prevention by working with schools to help kids learn to eat right and be active every day. This focus is because of the unique position and influence that schools have on children and their families, in addition to their responsibility to provide nutrition and physical education and their many opportunities to promote healthy eating and active living. – Our Approach – http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/addressing-the-issue/our-approach/

It’s a startling statistic to think that almost 1 in 3 American children is overweight or obese. That is a not good statistic and sad to think of the future health complications these kids may face. Maybe this is why health care costs continue to rise at tremendous rate, think about it. Health insurance costs have to rise because the trend shows an unhealthy nation and we can nip this in the butt if we teach kids a healthy lifestyle to help prevent future health complications. It is a little disappointing to those individuals that work towards a healthy lifestyle while others may neglect it which increases everyone’s insurance premiums. Start with the kids and the future will be brighter.

Check out these other facts:

• More than 30 percent of American children are obese or overweight. This is triple the number than in 1980.
• Overweight kids are likely to become overweight adults.
• Poor nutrition is everywhere; only 2 percent of school-age children consistently eat well.
• Kids are less active overall due to today’s fast-paced but sedentary lifestyles. Only 8 percent of elementary school students and 6 percent of middle school and high school students have daily PE at school.
• 35% of school-age children watch an average of 5 or more hours of TV on a school day.
• Overweight kids miss school 4 times as much as normal weight kids. If kids aren’t in school, they can’t learn.
• Low-income and minority children are most seriously at risk.
• All of these children face serious, yet preventable, obesity-related health risks such as diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.
• As a nation, we spend $119 billion annually on obesity-related health care costs. The U.S. economy simply cannot bear continued increases in these costs.

Those facts are a sobering look at a bleak future if America continues this trend.

On a more positive note Regis and Kelly’s Run Across America with Dean Karnazes kicked off today as Dean started his run from California to New York with proceeds benefiting Action for Healthy Kids. Running up to 50 miles a day for 75 days, his goal is to inspire a Nation to a healthier future. Track his progress and find out how you can help here.

This is a great cause, check it out for yourself at http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/ and learn how you can help.

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Avery’s recent social network campaign wittingly used the Facebook Like feature in conjunction with Valentines Day. The Facebook Like feature fits in perfectly with the Valentines Day theme. Valentines day works great for a social network campaign with the Facebook Like feature if you’re not pushing a sale orientated campaign. I’m surprised I haven’t seen more emails featuring the Facebook Like feature during this time of year or maybe I’ve been oblivious to it. This was a very well designed and themed newsletter by Avery that I wanted to give props to. Now I have to come up a Valentines newsletter myself for good ol’ Detailed Image.

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