I think the Bright Bodies Weight Management Program for Children is amazing (In the News, September). Yet although it's an ideal plan in theory, it's hard to implement and maintain over time-it's costly and requires a great deal of involvement by parents who may have trouble staying involved if they work full-time. Also, it only addresses older children. More immediate solutions for childhood obesity are to make healthful food affordable to low-income families; incorporate exercise into after-school programs; and improve school cafeteria food, which is often high in carbohydrates and fat. The key is to introduce a more healthful lifestyle at a young age. Instead of supersizing the meals we feed our children, let's supersize their lifespan.

Lourdes Perez, RN

San Diego