The Open Forum Helping Colorado kids get active

As we welcome a new legislative session, I sincerely hope that Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado lawmakers pursue policies to address the problem of childhood obesity, which affects one in four children in our state.

It is an issue I encounter daily at my practice as a physician assistant at Every Child Pediatrics, a nonprofit pediatric practice, which cares for 22,000 Colorado children. Despite our team-based approach to weight management, families despair at continued gain. Many of the lifestyle recommendations we make in these visits can be carried out in schools and neighborhoods.

It is widely recommended that children engage in 60 minutes of moderate exercise daily to maintain healthy weight. Currently, Colorado only mandates that students have an opportunity for an average of 30 minutes of physical activity during the school day.

Doing more to reduce childhood obesity will help children of all socioeconomic backgrounds be healthy and reach their full potential — a smart investment for Colorado. tripling, what we pay for government?

Shouldn’t a massive increase in the size of our government require a vote?

Be skeptical, and think about what destroying TABOR will cost you, your family and your future ability to live here.

Government always wants more money and power. Without TABOR, we will lose perhaps our greatest tool to keep government in check. TABOR is a very good thing and messing with it is a very bad idea.