[by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51VOA.COM [00:00.36]From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. [00:06.44]The number of overweight children in the U.S. is growing. [00:11.57]That is the reason the American Heart Association [00:15.28]and the Clinton Foundation created the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. [00:22.08]Over the past 10 years, [00:24.28]the Alliance has been coming up [00:26.16]with creative ways to fight childhood obesity. [00:30.60]One of these ways is inviting young people to be part of the solution. [00:37.00]Twelve-year-old Jodi Evans has always been active. [00:41.88]She loves to exercise and play sports ... including dancing. [00:47.76]"Dancing is a sport. Not everybody thinks it's a sport [00:51.32]just because it's just ... not in the Olympics. [00:55.16]But it's something that keeps your heart rate going. [00:59.21]It's something that requires a lot of energy. [01:01.27]It's something that requires eating healthy to have energy." [01:05.32]Jodi is on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Youth Advisory Board. [01:11.76]The Alliance chose her [01:13.84]for her healthy lifestyle and her involvement in sports. [01:18.44]"We have a group of young people, everything [01:21.04]from an 8-year-old to 17-years-old all across the country. [01:26.00]Jodi joined the Board when she was only eight. [01:29.00]She was one of our youngest members at the time." [01:31.44]Megan McIntire is spokeswoman for the Alliance. [01:35.40]She says the young people in the Alliance [01:38.20]are sharing their viewpoint, or perspective, on how to fight childhood obesity. [01:44.31]"They all are raising their voice on this issue, [01:48.00]and giving their perspective on how to combat childhood obesity. [01:52.81]And on top of that they're making a difference in their own communities. [01:56.29]They're running Local 5-K events [01:59.18]or they're talking to their school board about changing out school food in the cafeterias. [02:04.52]Or they're planning a school garden [02:06.60]or they're talking to their state legislature about new policies they can pass. [02:11.29]So, they are having tremendous impact all across the country [02:14.95]on issues they care about and they choose how they really want to make an impact." [02:19.23]"Do you eat potatoes?!" [02:22.36] [02:26.00]And, more importantly, [02:27.88]the young Alliance members [02:29.76]talk about making healthier food choices with their friends. [02:34.40]Ms. McIntire says this is very important. [02:38.68]Talking with friends will help to change [02:41.72]the current shocking obesity numbers. [02:45.04]Again, here is Ms. McIntire. [02:47.96]"One in three children (is) overweight or obese. [02:52.16]Some research out there suggests that this could be the first generation [02:56.32]that doesn't outlive their parents. [02:58.97]So it's an epidemic. We're seeing some signs of the trends flattening. [03:06.32]But there still is extremely high prevalence of obesity in specific populations, [03:15.37]so African American and Hispanics are disproportionally impacted by obesity issue." [03:21.44]The goal of the Alliance is to empower children [03:25.44]to create healthier environments for themselves. [03:29.88]Ms. McIntire says they are doing this [03:32.88]by increasing physical activity throughout and after the school day. [03:39.28]The young Alliance members are also bringing healthier food choices [03:44.44]to where students eat and buy food ¨C [03:47.07]in the school cafeterias, vending machines and bake sales. [03:52.80]"Our largest program is in the schools. [03:55.54]We have a Healthy Schools Program. We're in 29,000 schools across the country. [04:00.40]We're really changing the culture of what happens in that school environment ¨C [04:04.70]so, everything from are they having physical activities throughout the day, [04:08.68]access to recess and physical education, [04:11.20]what's served in the vending machines, what our kids are eating at school cafeterias, [04:15.32]what are the fund raisers like, the [04:17.43]bake sales like after school , can they be healthy bake sales ... " [04:20.90]June Evans is Jodi's mom. [04:24.12]She says serving on the Youth Advisory Board [04:27.52]has helped her daughter learn about the issue of obesity. [04:31.56]It has also helped her to develop important leadership skills. [04:36.48]"If she sees, you know, friends that are struggling in one area [04:39.43]where they are not eating healthy or they're complaining about their body, [04:42.95]or they're complaining about their weight, [04:45.04]she will step in and she'll do it in a positive, quiet way." [04:49.56]Jodi's has a gentle, friendly approach. [04:52.88]This makes it easy for Melissa Jackson [04:56.16]and her other friends to listen to what she has to say. [05:00.52]"She told me that our body is a temple [05:03.28]and we should take care of that temple by eating [05:05.56]right, taking care of our body, exercising properly, [05:09.40]not overdoing it too much." [05:12.15]Jodi's term on the board ends this year. [05:15.72]But she says she will always stay active. [05:19.28]She also plans to continue to spread the message [05:22.92]of staying active and eating healthy [05:25.60]among her friends in school, in her neighborhood and everywhere. [05:31.12]I'm Anna Matteo.