Fighting Childhood Obesity

FIGHTING CHILDHOOD OBESITY -- (House of Representatives - July 25, 2005)

(Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a young lady from my district who is inspiring her peers to live a healthy lifestyle.

Eleven-year-old Madison Newberry of Lewisville, North Carolina was just like any other kid at Lewisville Elementary School, except that she was never able to fit into a pair of jeans. Madison is one of approximately 15 percent of American children who are overweight.

Yet Madison grew tired of wearing stretch pants. And when her doctor told her she had high cholesterol, she knew it was time to make a lifestyle change.

Madison lost 15 pounds by switching to a healthy diet and exercising. In April of 2004, Subway chose Madison to appear in two nationally televised commercials as part of its childhood obesity prevention campaign. Then in July, 2004, she marched in Washington with Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle to help kick off the restaurant's national childhood obesity program.

Obesity among young Americans is a serious problem that can have serious ramifications in the long run. The number of kids affected by obesity has tripled since 1980, and this can be traced in large part to lack of exercise and a healthy diet. I am proud of Madison Newberry for serving as a positive role model to other kids and look forward to seeing more of her peers follow in her footsteps.

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