Shape Your Future, a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), is making it easier to keep Oklahoma children healthy during the pandemic. Parents, teachers, health care providers and communities can visit shapeyourfutureok.com for information.

Oklahoma ranks 8th highest in youth obesity in the U.S., according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. More than a third of Oklahomans 10 to 17 years old are overweight or obese, nearly 150,000 children.

Public health experts believe the COVID crisis may increase the risk of these unhealthy behaviors and negatively impact childhood obesity rates. Some areas of the country are reporting weight gain as much as 30 pounds in youth since the virus broke out, and social distancing has meant less time spent outdoors playing and being physically active. Scientists, researchers and doctors across the globe are speculating that the long-term effects of the pandemic may impact the health of kids for years to come.

“Obesity is an underlying epidemic during the COVID health pandemic,” said Dr. Ashley Weedn, assistant professor and director of the Healthy Future Clinic and director of the Pediatric Obesity Research Program at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. “It’s imperative that during this time, parents remain committed to their child’s physical and emotional health, especially for children already struggling with excess weight.”

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that childhood obesity is a significant health threat.

Obesity in children can cause chronic health issues such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, high blood pressure, liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. It also increases their risk for heart disease, and children with obesity are more likely to have obesity as adults.

Poor nutrition, lack of proper sleep and sedentary lifestyles are some of the major factors in childhood obesity.

“Life is unpredictable right now, and families have a lot to juggle with work, school and routines that have been upended,” said TSET Executive Director Julie Bisbee, mother of two boys. “Shape Your Future can be a lifeline for keeping our kids’ health on track by helping kids and parents fit healthy food and activities into their busy lives.”