On Saturday, April 26, 2008 the Dallas Area Coalition to Prevent Childhood Obesity and community partners hosted the first annual Get Kidz Fit Fest.  In it’s first two years approximately 11,000 adults and youth have attended this free, fun-filled festival.

Get Kidz Fit seeks to educate and engage children and families on simple ways that they can incorporate physical activity and nutritious eating into their daily lives.

Proceeds from Get Kidz Fit benefit the Dallas Area Coalition to Prevent Childhood Obesity, which encourages physical activity and optimal nutrition for children and families through collaborative community, corporate and educational activities.

The coalition is an alliance of over 90 community organizations representing health and human service providers, business, government, schools, civic and service organizations and faith-based groups.

Facts don't lie. Childhood obesity is a critical problem. It is a leading factor in the precedented rise of Type II ("adult-onset") diabetes among adolescents. Texas Obesity Statistics reveal the full extent of this growing epidemic:

Dallas students are at greater risk of overweight and obesity than U.S. students. In 2007, 38% of Dallas high-school students were overweight or obese compared to 29% of U.S. students.1

A physical fitness assessment of Texas students in grades 3-12 showed that 20% percent of Dallas ISD 3rd grade students reached the “Healthy Fitness Zone” on all six tests of the FITNESSGRAM® compared to 30% of Texas students.2

An overweight adolescent has a 70% chance of becoming an overweight or obese adult.3

Weight-related diabetes has increased dramatically.  It is estimated that one-third of all children born in the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime.4

In 2007, the Texas WIC program found that 21% of the low-income children ages 2-5 in WIC were overweight or obese.5

1. Source:  2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, Dallas ISD 9th through 12th grade  students, http://www.cdc.gov/yrbss

2. Source:  Anderson, KS and Unmuth, KL (July 12, 2008), The Dallas Morning News, analysis of data released by Texas Education Agency, 2008 Texas Youth Evaluation Project, FITNESSGRAM® Test, http://www.tea.state.tx.us/comm/page1.html

3. Source:  http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/face_adolescents.htm

4. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/AAG/healthier_communities.htm (Research Source:  K.M. Venkat Narayan, MD, Chief of the Diabetes Epidemiology Section at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, United States  Lifetime Risk for Diabetes Mellitus in the United States. Abstract 967-P)

5. Source:  Texas WIC program, February 2007, cited in DSHS Obesity Data Sheet, July 2008.