THE PROBLEM

THE EPIDEMIC OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY...

The statistics are grim and getting worse:

• 16% of America's children are obese
• Another 17% are overweight

We know where this leads:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Stroke

And try this on for size: this generation will be the first in history to live shorter lives than their parents.

We know why it's happening. Genetics plays a role, but too many kids eat too much food with too little nutrition, and they spend their time on sofas instead of bicycles.

The combination of the wrong foods plus sedentary lifestyles for our kids adds up to skyrocketing obesity among young people. And the problem is getting worse - not better.

ONE SOLUTION IS EDUCATION, BUT...

Business, government and the non-profit world have launched vital programs educating kids about healthy eating and lifestyles.

But the horrible reality is that teenagers who weigh 300, 400 or 600 pounds need more than education. They need treatment.

That's where Louie's Kids comes in. Louie's Kids stands virtually alone as the nation's only non-profit whose sole mission is to treat obesity, one child at a time.

SC Governor Mark Sanford and First Lady Jenny Sanford gave Louie's Kids a "Healthy South Carolina Challenge" Award. State governments face skyrocketing health care costs due to chronic disease associated with obesity.