Below are the remarks of AAP President O. Marion Burton, MD FAAP regarding the Let’s Move! Anniversary on February 8, 2011.
Thank you Mrs. Obama, Madam Surgeon General, and Dr. Heim. This is Dr. Marion Burton, and I’m delighted to join you today as president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
I’ve spent the past 18 months traveling all over our nation speaking with pediatricians. The issue of obesity comes up again and again. Our doctors are deeply concerned about the levels of overweight and obesity they see in both their primary care and specialty practices. You probably see these issues in your own practice – obese children are having serious medical problems like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, lipid disorders, and liver disease.
The Let’s Move! initiative has played a critical role in focusing national attention on these issues, from healthy eating to designing communities so families can buy healthy food and use active transit. The AAP is proud to be a key partner with the First Lady and government agencies in this effort, and we commend you, Mrs. Obama, for taking on this singularly important health problem.
As Dr. Heim discussed, we all know doctors have a key role in Let’s Move! Pediatricians have a unique opportunity working with families to give all boys and girls a healthy childhood. The Bright Futures schedule of well-child visits allows us to build relationships with families, track children’s growth over time, and establish a bond of trust. Surveys show that families want their doctors to talk with them about healthy weight. We need to focus these opportunities on promoting good nutrition, physical activity, and the other factors that contribute to healthy weight.
Some families will only need a gentle nudge to start paying more attention to eating right and getting more physical activity – like you did, Mrs. Obama. Others need more help. Physicians can partner with families to discuss healthy foods and age-appropriate portion sizes, help them think creatively about getting their children outside and away from the TV or computer and remind them about the importance of getting enough sleep. We can encourage families to be active together, since parents are the most important role models in a child’s life. Promoting and supporting breastfeeding is extremely important. At every step of child development, pediatricians can partner with families to promote healthy habits, identify barriers, and help families get past them to be more healthy.
Last year, the AAP pledged to work toward ensuring that all pediatricians measure body mass index, or BMI, at every well child visit and counsel every family about healthy eating and physical activity. We’ve made tremendous progress toward that goal. I’m proud to report that more than 75% of all pediatricians are now reporting that they do both of these things with their patients and families.
Moreover, the Academy has developed new materials, tools and resources to help health care providers have meaningful conversations with families about healthy weight, including “prescriptions” for healthy, active living, and tip sheets for families about nutrition and activity. Those are all available online at aap.org/obesity.
Now it’s time for the next step. Today, the AAP would like to announce a special initiative as part of Let’s Move! in the Clinic: an opportunity for all health care providers to engage in meaningful quality improvement around healthy weight. This new component of Let’s Move! in the Clinic can be found online at aap.org/obesity/letsmove. It has two parts:
First, pediatricians and other health care providers can take the pledge to become a Let’s Move! practice. A Let’s Move! practice pledges to measure BMI and counsel families about nutrition and physical activity at every well child visit.
Second, Let’s Move! in the Clinic challenges health care providers to continue improving the quality and consistency of the care we deliver. This module asks providers to review a sample of charts and helps them check to see if they have consistently measured BMI and counseled for healthy nutrition and physical activity. You then have the opportunity to review charts again at a later date and see your progress. For those who want more feedback, there is a feature to submit data into the system and compare the results against both your own previous rates and the national averages. This will give practices critical information about what you are doing well and where you need to improve. The AAP is committed to providing the tools all health care providers need to continue improving obesity-related prevention and care for children and families.
I’d like to take this opportunity to challenge all pediatricians and other health care providers to participate in Let’s Move! in the Clinic. This is an essential step each of us can take to ensure that we’re doing what’s necessary in our practices to promote healthy weight for our patients and their families.
And finally, I’d like to join Mrs. Obama in encouraging all our listeners to step outside the clinic doors and work with your communities to promote healthy, active living. The voices of health care providers can be critically important in decisions about community planning, schools, transportation, and so much more. We need each of you to speak up for children and families. Get involved with a local child care center, or speak at the next town council meeting. Push for sidewalks in your community so children can bike and play safely. Help bring healthy, affordable fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods where they may be scarce. Every one of us has a role to play in our practice and our community at large.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is proud to be a leader in the Let’s Move! initiative with our First Lady, Surgeon General Benjamin, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and our other colleagues in the medical profession.
