"Making the healthy choice the first choice"

Television and other passive activity is often seen as one of the reasons for obesity among children but television is a powerful medium of communication and LazyTown believes it can become part of the solution to this health problem.

Media Coverage 2003
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1. Is Fat the Next Tobacco? For Big Food, the supersizing of America is becoming a big headache (FORTUNE, Tuesday, January 21, 2003)
2. Kids Produce in School. Feds Offer Pupils Fruit and Veggie Snacks to Fight Fat, Boost Nutrition (The Washington Post, Tuesday, February 18, 2003; Page HE01)
3. Metro Briefing: Connecticut. HARTFORD: Junk-Food Limits Urged; Fire Department Minority Recruitment; School Defibrillators (The New York Times, February 13, 2003)
4. Your Honor, We Call Our Next Witness: McFrankenstein. The national drama over obesity took a turn last week when a federal judge in Manhattan threw out a lawsuit that accused McDonald's of deceiving its consumers about its products (The New York Times, January 26, 2003)
5. New York Facing Epidemic of Diabetes, Health Officials Say. New York City is facing an epidemic of diabetes, health officials say, pointing to new figures showing that nearly 8 percent of adults in the city have the disease (The New York Times, January 25, 2003)
6. Big Macs Can Make You Fat? No Kidding, a Judge Rules. A federal judge in Manhattan has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to hold McDonald's Corporation liable for obesity and ill health in teenagers. (The New York Times January 23, 2003)
7. Judge Rejects Obese Teenagers' Suit Against McDonald's. The federal judge said that the teenagers' complaints could spawn thousands of "McLawsuits" if they were upheld (The New York Times, January 22, 2003)
8. Physical inactivity has contributed to an unprecedented epidemic of overweight children in the United States. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
9. 'Supersizing' Hits the Dinner Table. Study Traces Rise of Obesity to Larger Portions of Food Served at Home, Too (The Washington Post, Wednesday, January 22, 2003; Page A02)
10. Land of the Free, Home of the Fat; Greg Critser's book examines why Americans have been stuffing their faces with ever bigger servings of ever more fattening foods (BOOK Review, New York Times, January 7, 2003)
11. Being fat at 40 cuts years off life. Extra weight in middle age a risk factor for earlier death (MSNBC.com, January 6, 2003)

Media Coverage 2002
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1. The average U.S. child spends 20% of his/her waking time watching TV. (University of Michigan: Fitness for Youth)
2. In the U.S., the prevalence of overweight children has tripled over the past 30 years. This increase corresponds to a trend for sedentary activities such as watching television. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics)
3. One in four children does not attend any school P.E., and fewer than one in four children get 20 minutes of vigorous activity every day. (National Association for Sport & Physical Education)
4. Americans are fatter -- and drunker. More Americans are getting fat and drunk each year, with sometimes deadly results, researchers said. CDC studies find obesity and binge drinking on the rise (MSNBC.com, December 31, 2002)
5. America's Epidemic of Youth Obesity. That Americans are getting heavier is especially hard to deny the day after Thanksgiving. But America's weight problem has less to do with holiday binges than with everyday choices and circumstances (Editorial Opinion, The New York Times, November 29, 2002)
6. Why We Eat (and Eat and Eat). Given the opportunity, it seems that people just about everywhere will eat and eat, and then eat some more. Obesity and ills linked to it, including heart disease and high blood pressure, have joined the World Health Organization's list of the Top 10 global health risks. (The New York Times, November 26, 2002)
7. Why We´re So Fat. Fast food at school, huge portions, and relentless TV ads make it easy (BusinessWeek, October 12, 2002)
8. Controlling the global obesity epidemic. At the other end of the malnutrition scale, obesity is one of today’s most blatantly visible – yet most neglected – public health problems (World Health Organization, Last updated: 16 September 2002)
9. Why America is so fat. -- The fat man in New York who sued the Big Four fast-food chains is desperate to blame someone for his obesity. He just didn't cast blame broadly enough (CBS.MarketWatch.com, Last Update: 10:55 AM ET Aug. 1, 2002)
10. Sedentary kids called to action in national campaign. "Too many of our children are sitting around, and their inactivity is leading to serious health problems such as overweight, obesity and diabetes," says Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson (USA TODAY July 16, 2002)
11. Kids born today are expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents due to inactivity and diet. (Obesity Week, Feb 3, 2002: v2, #5)
12. The incidence of adult-onset diabetes (type II) in kids at Texas Children's Hospital has increased from 1% 20 years ago to 27% today. (Obesity Week, Feb 3, 2002)
13. Obesity is rapidly growing into America's largest preventable health issue. On Dec. 13, Surgeon General David Satcher warned that our collective girth may surpass smoking as the nation's No. 1 preventable health problem ( Tennessean.com, January 1, 2002)
14. State requirements for P.E. decline significantly at the high school level. (National Association for Sport & Physical Education, 2002)

Media Coverage 2001
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1. Overweight and Obesity; The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity (Surgeon General's Calls To Action, 2001)
2. Overweight children risk coronary heart disease and diabetes as obese adults (American Medical Association, July 12, 2001)
3. Gyms cash in on parents’ fears for unfit kids; As youth obesity and heart disease rates rise, families pay up to enrol in special health clubs (Guardian unlimited, UK; Sunday June 10, 2001)
4. “Fat and Happy?” - Show 1110 (PBS – Scientific American Frontiers; May 1, 2001)

Older Articles
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1. Obesity in America. The growing prevalence of obesity in the United States represents a significant health threat to millions of Americans, federal health officials say (CNN.com, May 10, 2000)
2. Many children face upphill struggle in maintaining fitness (CNN.com; April 10, 2000)
3. U.S. children continue to gain weight (CNN.com; March 12, 2001)
4. Growing up ... and out; American kids heavier than ever (MSNBC.com; March 12, 2001)