Shape Up America!

Whether you are working in a clinical, school-based or a public health setting, if you are considering establishing an obesity screening or surveillance program, Assessment of Children contains valuable information that can help you decide which program is right for you and how to proceed.
— Learn about Childhood Obesity
— Assessment of Children (PDF)

The Shape Up America! Pediatric BMI Assessment Tool permits health care professionals to calculate BMI and plot BMI percentile on the CDC growth charts for children ages 2 to 20. The user can enter up to six sets of data for a single child and the graph can be printed out for filing purposes.

For infants and toddlers less than two years of age, experts agree that TV and computers are NOT good for optimal brain development nor for social development and parent-child bonding. Parents should not allow TV or computer usage by children so young. Yet studies show that very young children are being placed in front of the television and videos — because parents are unaware that this practice is bad for kids' brains and raises the risk of childhood obesity. TV and other screen viewing is not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

For children over the age of two, the current recommendation to prevent childhood obesity is to limit recreational screen time (TV viewing, videos, and computer games) to a maximum of 2 hours per day. This limit is recommended by the AAP and also the Institute of Medicine report on the prevention of childhood obesity published in 2005. Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance discusses studies showing that the more hours of TV viewing, the higher the body mass index or BMI (a measure of body fatness). Other studies have led to the recommendation by the AAP that the television be removed from the bedroom.

Shape Up America! is offering tips for parents for savvy screen viewing, as well as some ideas for non-TV activities.

Founded in 1994, Shape Up America! is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization committed to raising awareness of obesity as a health issue and to providing responsible information on healthy weight management.

Sponsored by

Here is an amazing fact: new research conducted by Shape Up America! found that making one simple change when preparing favorite family meals — substituting turkey for certain cuts of beef, pork or chicken — produced an average savings of 108 calories per meal occasion. And in case that doesn't sound important, two recent studies predict 71.2 million fewer cases of overweight and obesity and savings of $58 billion annually in medical expenses if Americans simply consume 100 fewer calories a day.

Now, you can put these findings into practice with the Meal Upgrade Calculator, a new Web-based tool that makes it easy to "upgrade" favorite meals by making small changes that will lower fat and calories while not making any tradeoffs in taste or convenience.

So, what are you waiting for! Click here to "upgrade" 24 meals that are frequently served in American households — from bacon and eggs to hot dogs and pizza. You will be amazed by what you can achieve in better health.

Do you know your BMI? That stands for Body Mass Index — a number that describes the relationship between your weight and your height. Your BMI indicates whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese, and it is an indicator of health risk. Try our adult BMI calculator.

July 28, 2010

Shape Up America! rallies with over 70 national organizations to lead a community response to childhood obesity during the 2010 National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in September. The Healthy Kids, Brighter Futures initiative educates and empowers families and youth to live healthy lifestyles, eat nutritious food, and be physically active.

April 14, 2010

Shape Up America! and the National Turkey Federation announce the availability of a new Meal Upgrade Calculator that will allow users to improve the nutritional profile of the food they eat.

Nov 09, 2009

Shape Up America! says 15 Million Americans at Greatest Risk of Disease/Death Have Been Left Out of the Health Reform Debate

Are you looking for exciting, healthy meals? Try one of our sample menu plans!

1500-calorie plans
2000-calorie plans

At age 20, Alan Brown was paralyzed in a tragic accident. While technology allowed him mobility and the chance to marry and raise a family, over time his muscles atrophied and he became overweight. This is the true story of how he transformed himself into a success story and role model for all of us.

Do you have an inspiring success story? Would you like to help others who are struggling with their weight? We ask you to share your story with Shape Up America! You can also visit the Story Center to read about others who are working to manage their weight.