Community-Based Solution to
Childhood Obesity

As much as America hates to admit it, obesity has become a major life-threatening issue. And it's not only affecting adults, the number of obese children is ever growing and, little do people realize, has everlasting effect on the quality and longevity of their lives, as well as the adverse economic costs to our nation.

Paul R. Ehrmann, D.O., author of GENERATION XL:The Childhood Obesity Pandemic

With families busier than ever and constantly on the road, it seems many may be opting for less than healthy food options and avoiding nutrition labels. For many families fast food and convenient takeout options can help make their lives easier, but can also be a contributing factor to obesity. It's time for families to educate themselves, in order to ensure their children are leading healthy lifestyles.

Paul R. Ehrmann, D.O., a Royal Oak, Mich., family practice physician offers a new approach to curbing childhood obesity in his book GENERATION XL: The Childhood Obesity Pandemic – a Community-Based Solution.

"The worldwide childhood obesity pandemic threatens the quality and longevity of our children’s lives. As the debilitating physical and emotional results of childhood obesity continue to sharply increase, concerned parents are searching for effective methods of preventing this suffering in their children," Dr. Ehrmann said.

GENERATION XL offers guidance on curbing childhood obesity.

GENERATION XL offers step-by-step guidance on how to develop and implement the Children’s Health Initiative Program (C.H.I.P.) in hometown communities, as well as information on how the mentorship program can sustain these healthy lifestyle principles for years.

“When dealing the health of our community, we as physicians are often the common interface between good health and disease," Dr. Paul said. "All physicians have an implied responsibility to proactively promote, maintain and sustain good health and continue to build healthier communities that we serve."

Seeing the alarming trend first-hand, Dr. Ehrmann was moved to create C.H.I.P a grass roots, no participant cost, elementary school healthy living program for children and their families that can be easily replicated. 

The five weekly sessions include participation by families with support from local health, education and business groups. They demonstrate how to incorporate nutrition, fitness and healthy living into everyday behaviors through learning to read and interpret nutrition labels, choosing healthy foods, preparing nutritious and cost efficient meals and providing similar information to support increased physical activities.

Paul Ehrmann, D.O., a Michigan native, is a practicing board certified family practitioner, medical director and founder of the Family Health Care Center, a primary care medical group practice located in Royal Oak, Michigan. He is a member of the State of Michigan and Oakland County Michigan Task Forces on Childhood Obesity prevention and serves as the 2009 President of the Oakland County Osteopathic Medical Association.

Dr. Ehrmann’s mission is to encourage lifetime wellness through community-based grass roots activism promoting healthy living strategies for families in order to achieve healthier communities and a healthier society. 

In 2008 Dr. Ehrmann received the Health Care Hero Award from Crain’s Business Detroit in the Physician Category. He has written numerous articles for newspapers and medical journals and has been featured on local television and radio and serves as associate clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.