Tampa, FL – The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is pleased to announce the update of one of its most popular educational pieces – the “Understanding Childhood Obesity” brochure and poster.
This free resource now features the widely and commonly used body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentile charts. The brochure provides an in-depth look at childhood obesity, the causes, concerns, how to determine your child’s BMI-for-age percentile and treatment options. The poster is ideal to be displayed in schools, physician offices, community centers, etc. and draws attention to the rising childhood obesity epidemic. The poster features a large BMI-for-age percentile chart so that you can find where a child’s percentile falls.

“Quite often we receive phone calls at the OAC from concerned parents who just received their child’s BMI score from the school, but aren’t sure what exactly it means. The ‘Understanding Childhood Obesity’ series, in conjunction with our subsequent childhood obesity materials, helps parents, caregivers and loved ones better understand their child’s BMI,” said Joseph Nadglowski, Jr., OAC President and CEO.

For the first time ever, we are seeing children develop Type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate and only 8 percent of elementary schools and less than 7 percent of middle and high schools have daily physical education requirements in the U.S.

“These facts should be eye-opening to any parent concerned with their child’s health and wellbeing. It is the goal of the OAC to help parents better understand this epidemic and provide them with the necessary education to combat childhood obesity,” said Nadglowski.

For more information on childhood obesity or to order the “Understanding Childhood Obesity” brochure or poster free of charge, please visit www.obesityaction.org or contact the OAC National Office at (800) 717-3117 or info@obesityaction.org. An online version may also be viewed and downloaded on the OAC Web site.

About the OAC
The OAC is a nonprofit National charity dedicated to helping those affected by obesity. The OAC was formed to bring together individuals struggling with weight issues and provide educational resources and advocacy tools.