US Surgeon General Visits Kansas City

Kansas City, MO – The nation's top doctor is in Kansas City this week. He stopped by Satchel Paige Elementary School yesterday to talk to students about obesity. KCUR's Elana Gordon reports.

A student drum line greeted Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, the acting Surgeon General of the United States. Galson's visit to the school is part of his nationwide obesity prevention tour. He spoke to a gym full of K through 8th graders about the importance of daily exercise.

Galson: How much time should you spend walking around, or riding your bike, or playing basketball, or doing anything but sitting? Every day you should be doing an hour of physical activity.

Galson said that on average, young people spend about six hours a day in front of the T.V. But he also presented a special award to the school for its efforts to get kids active, especially through its after school jump roping program. The U.S. Surgeon General is in Kansas City until tomorrow. He's scheduled to speak about obesity at Kansas City University of Medicine and KU Medical Center.

Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

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