National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in Addison

Yesterday, Barack Obama issued a presidential proclamation recognizing September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and Addison families should look toward taekwondo as outlet to participate in this initiative. “While most Addison children are not obese, we are in danger of the scales tipping the other way,” stated Luciano Medina, President of the Illinois Taekwondo State Association.

When asked about why this initiative was important to the ITSA, Medina cited the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IADP), which reported that childhood obesity has tripled since the 1980s. Addison residents should take note that according to the IAPD website, more than 25 percent of Illinois youth from ages 12-16 and 18 percent of youth from ages 6-10 are overweight.

“We are at a critical time in Illinois and if we do not start recognizing this now, the next generation of Addison youth could follow the same trend that is happening throughout state,” Medina indicated. “As adults, parents, and taekwondo school business owners, we feel that we have a responsibility to the Addison community to raise awareness about this issue and help stop the trend that has already occurred.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adolescents and children should do at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. The optimal method that Addison parents should adopt for their kids, according to the CDC, consists of three different types of exercises Aerobic, Muscle Strengthening, and Bone Strengthening.

“This is great advice for Addison residents,” said Bruce Harris, CEO of USA Taekwondo, which is the non-profit governing body for the sport of taekwondo to the US Olympic Committee. “Taekwondo is a fantastic way to help youth meet these recommendations and I'm pleased to see the ISTA taking a stand. With taekwondo, not only can Addison kids meet and exceed the recommended standards, but they can also have a lot of fun doing it.”