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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

An Opportunity to Reverse CO Childhood Obesity Epidemic

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Tuesday, September 2, 2014   

DENVER - Obesity is on the rise when it comes to Colorado's youngest citizens. In the past four decades childhood obesity has tripled in the state and Renee Porter, obesity clinical nurse coordinator, at Children's Hospital Colorado knows that first hand.

"We are seeing kids referred younger and younger," Porter says. "We're actually happy about it because we feel like that's the time when an intervention is probably going to make the biggest impact on the rest of their lives. "

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and groups such as the Colorado Health Foundation are working to improve access to healthy food and exercise for Colorado Children.

According to the United Health Foundation, Colorado ranks eighth in the country for statewide health. Porter and others warn that number can change since research indicates if a child is overweight at age five, he or she is five times more likely to be obese as an adult.

Adding healthy food at school lunches, eliminating access to sugary drinks and increasing access to public parks are all ways Anne Warhover, president and CEO, with the Colorado Health Foundation says the state can begin to reduce childhood obesity.

She also says the amount of money spent on health problems related to obesity could be spent on other areas of need.

"One-point-six billion dollars a year is spent in Colorado, treating diseases that are directly caused by obesity," says Warhover. "If you think we could put that money into schools, we could put that into better education, or higher education."

In addition to parents making healthier options available, Warhover says improving the health of the state's children comes down to making healthy options the norm.

"It's 100 percent preventable," says Warhover. "We don't need to have this statistic if we can figure out how to change the culture of health and how to make the healthy choice the easy choice."

In addition to healthy eating and exercise, experts say a lack of sleep and stress at home are other factors that can contribute to a child's weight problem.


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