Midwest Kids Struggle With Obesity

The report card on fitness is in – and it concludes that there’s a lotof room for improvement. The federal government has been keeping trackof Americans’ heights and weights for more than 30 years now. And eachtime the survey is taken, it shows that the population is heavier. TheUpper Midwest is the heaviest region in the country. The Great LakesRadio Consortium’s Joan Siefert-Rose reports on the theories behind thisdramatic increase in obesity … and the special problems faced bychildren:

Are Today’s Kids Less Active?

The U-S Surgeon General recently declared childhood obesity as aproblem of epidemic proportion in this country. Over the last 30 years,children have been getting heavier, relative to their height. Today,one in five children is at least 20 percent above an optimal weight.The problem may not be so much what kids are eating … as it is what theyare doing. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Joan Siefert-Rose hasthis report:

African-American Hypertension Study

High blood pressure is called ‘the silent killer’ because – if leftuntreated – it can lead to heart attack or stroke.The condition is also linked to kidney disease…and African-Americansare at a very high risk. Now, a study is underway to figure out thebest way to manage high blood pressure and kidney disease in thisparticularly sensitive group. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s JoanSiefert Rose reports: