Nobody's denying childhood obesity is a serious, and growing, problem -- but nobody seems to have any real idea what to do about it.
Now the South Beach Diet creator, Dr. Arthur Agatson, is taking a whack at it. He's sponsoring a meeting and luncheon with scientists, policymakers and celebrity chefs to create dialogue between key people, publicize new ideas and take a look at what progress might be possible.
According to a press release from the Agatson Research Foundation, some of the panelists include Jamie Oliver, Rachael Ray, Alice Waters, Joy Bauer, RD, nutrition correspondent for the Today Show, and David Ludwig, MD, Harvard Medical School and author of "Ending the Food Fight: Guide Your Child to a Healthy Weight in a Fast Food/Fake Food World."
Agatston said, "Our nation's children are currently overfed and undernourished and we can do better. Bringing experts together to influence the foods served in our schools, and to educate schools and parents about healthier options, is a positive step in moving this mission forward."
Woo, I say. Although there's a whole line of processed food with a South Beach Diet tie-in, the actual book has a lot of smart things to say about nutrition and the importance of real food versus fakey, chemically diet stuff. It's what made me aware of the evils of high-fructose corn syrup and that it's in things you'd never expect, and more importantly I actually lost weight and felt really good when I did the diet. And if anyone's going to make it easier for heavy kids to make healthier choices that still appeal, it's likely the team Agatson has put together.
