Application developers to join White House campaign for healthier children

Around 30 percent of children in the US are obese or overweight, with combined child and adult obesity costing the country an estimated $150 billion in annual medical bills. The issue is so prevalent that, for the first time in US history, children may have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Public awareness of related issues is pivotal in the bid to tackle the problem.

The Let’s Move campaign in the US has an ambitious goal – the end of childhood obesity within a generation. Last week First Lady Michelle Obama launched Apps for Healthy Kids, a key element of the initiative run by the US Department of Agriculture. Software developers, game designers and students will compete for $40,000 in cash prizes as they create tools and games that encourage families to live healthier lifestyles.

Children in the US spend an average of seven and a half hours per day watching television or using computers and handheld devices such as video games. While reducing this time is important, these channels offer a potential resource for engaging children in a way that’s accessible, familiar and fun.

Nutrition is a key focus, with prizes offered for the most creative use of USDA’s MyPyramid 1,000 food database.  The aim is to support parents with easy-to-follow nutritional information that helps them shop healthily and plan balanced meals.

"Maybe you've seen those dance video games or exercise games that families are playing together at home – or ones kids play using their mobile phones or home computers - those are the kinds of games we're talking about," said the First Lady. "We're challenging software and game designers – professionals and amateurs alike – to come up with games that incorporate nutritional information and make healthy living fun.”