By Michael Walton, Contributor 

Hello myvoicedc.com family! I hope that you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and that you are focused on fitness as we lead into 2009. My focus on fitness, outside of my own personal goals, has shifted more and more toward helping our youth fight the current obesity epidemic. On November 8, 2008 I full heartedly joined the fight against childhood obesity as the Michael Walton Foundation held its 3rd annual ‘A Mile in My Shoes’ walk-a-thon and fall festival in Washington D.C. The event was hosted by the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreations and featured many great organizations sharing information and resources to help engage our youth towards living healthy lives. Thank you to everyone that came out to participate, we had a blast!

In addition to the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation played a large role in presenting the walk-a-thon and making it a success. For those of you who may not be familiar with this phenomenal organization the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation co-led by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Alliance’s goal is to reduce childhood obesity by 2015 and to take bold, innovative steps to help all children live longer and healthier lives. I am 100% on board in helping them accomplish that goal!

Today about 25 million kids (ages 2-19) in the United States are overweight or obese. That’s nearly one of every three kids. The result is an increase in serious health problems earlier in life. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, Type II Diabetes and depression are now a part of more and more kids’ lives. As a part of my joining forces with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation I will be producing a series of blogs in tandem with them providing vital knowledge of ways to combat obesity in children. First we will address parents assisting children in making healthier choices. We will provide tips in making a healthy home and school experiences, as well as ways to stay healthy when you’re out and on the go. We will also address the importance of doctor’s appointments for children and other essential information that parents should know.

Now that I’ve got you on the edge of your exercise ball the next post will address ways in which to adopt new habits and making your home a healthier place. Until then stay focused, I have my eye on you!