What is the problem?

Obesity has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, particularly among children. Approximately one third of children and adolescents are considered to be obese or overweight, and approximately 80% of overweight adolescents will become obese adults. Increased obesity rates are associated with an 89 percent increase in spending between 1998 and 2006 on treatments for obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

At the most basic level, obesity is an energy imbalance. If you eat more calories than you burn, your body must store the excess as fat, and so you gain weight. Although increasing physical activity is one way to burn more calories, it is often difficult to exercise enough to account for the excess energy that is consumed. Not all portions are the same. By selecting larger portions of low-density foods (fruits, vegetables) and smaller portions of high-density (chips, cookies) foods, it is possible to cut back dramatically on the amount of calories consumed, and avoid weight gain.

Development

The Nutri-plate(TM) was developed in 2007 in collaboration with youth and families from the south side of Chicago with funding from the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC).

We sought input from youth while creating the plate, and the design was based on their ideas. Their input suggested that the plates should include simple yet colorful, with visual and textual information about healthy eating.