SYRACUSE - With an hour to go before lunchtime Thursday, Marissa Taylor had already walked nearly two miles around the 2007 New York State Fair, each step counted off by the pedometer on her hip.

“It's an important message to get out to people,” said the 17-year-old from Saratoga County.

“You can't make excuses. Walking doesn't take special skills or equipment, and there's always time. If nothing else, just park your car farther away at the mall,” said Taylor, of Halfmoon, N.Y.

Taylor is one of 1,700 young 4-H members who are taking part in a new “Choose Health” program aimed at reducing childhood obesity in New York and educating children about healthy lifestyles.

As part of the program, each 4-H youth at the fair will be given a pedometer to track their steps during their stay, said Barbara Schirmer, New York State 4-H Youth Development Program leader.

A daily tally will be taken of steps walked and recorded by extension representatives from each county. The challenge will be to see which county group walks the most during its four-day stay, she said.

Then all the totals will be combined and steps converted to miles to show how far the 4-H'ers walked as a group, she said.

“We really know that a good walking program can make a difference,” said Schirmer, adding that health specialists recommend taking between 10,000 and 12,000 steps a day - or about five to six miles.

“With today's lifestyles, today's youth are sitting behind desks, behind a computer, watching television. They are not quite as active as we would like to see them. Hopefully, this will get people up and walking,” Schirmer said.

Many schools have been cutting back on recess and physical education, and studies show that fewer than half of American children who live close to school regularly walk or bike to classes. As a result of inactivity and poor eating habits, more than one-third of American children are overweight and that figure could climb to 50 percent by 2010, experts say.

Obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, sleep apnea and orthopedic problems. Overweight youngsters also have a higher rate of school absenteeism and experience teasing, rejection, bullying and other types of abuse because of their weight. They are also two to three times more likely to report suicidal thoughts.

“So many things in our lives conspire against us being healthy. The time to make changes is early in life,” said Cornell University President David Skorton, a cardiologist who is also on the Weill Cornell Medical College faculty in New York City. Cornell's Cooperative Extension runs the 4-H program, which serves more than 468,000 youth in New York.

“People can make the fair a healthy experience by walking around a lot and choosing wisely what they eat. But it's an uphill battle,” said Skorton, pointing around to the various concession stands offering an assortment of bulge-building treats, everything from loaded cheese fries with bacon and caramel apple walkaway sundaes to deep-fried s'mores and fried pickles.

As part of their walking challenge, 4-H members will take part in a geocache activity, using global positioning devices and maps to locate where the healthy food vendors are on the fairgrounds, Schirmer said.

The New York State Fair is not alone in wanting healthier fairgoers.

So far, two major fairs have banned the use of artificial trans fats - the Indiana State Fair and the Western Washington Fair. Artificial trans fats have been linked to heart disease.

Jim Tucker, president of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, whose Springfield, Mo.-based organization represents about 1,300 fairs and festivals, expects more fairs to follow Indiana's lead. Already, about 80 percent of vendors have made the switch on their own, Tucker estimated.

Around the United States, local and state fairs reflect their community interests, he said. Some fairs have banned alcohol and smoking altogether. Others focus on being environmentally friendly.

“There is a greening of the fairs in this country. And a big part of what a fair does is education,” Tucker said. “But there will always be a place for treats at a fair - you just have to exercise moderation.”

First-year fair director Dan O'Hara applauded the initiative. In April, O'Hara announced the state fair would no longer allow the sale of tobacco products on the grounds to promote a healthier fair environment. O'Hara said he would eventually like to make most of the fair smoke-free.

O'Hara said he has not yet considered the issue of trans fat oils.

“People can make choices about the food they eat. Smoking is a matter of having consideration for others,” O'Hara said.