Healthy Children, Healthy Weights Promoting Healthy Weight in Children

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Healthy Children, Healthy WeightsPromoting
Healthy Weight in Children

• Cara Texler, MPH, RD, LD
• Jayne Moreau, MPH, CHES

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What is Healthy Children, Healthy Weights?

• Prevention program addressing childhood
  overweight by promoting healthy weight in all
  children
• Uses evidence-based approaches
• Enhanced through successful community partnerships

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Our Focus

• Children ages birth-5 years
• Adults caring for children
• Setting Early Learning Centers
• Columbus neighborhoods with limited resources and
  higher prevalence of adult overweight and obesity

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Components of Program

• Interactive training for adults
• Healthy Children, Healthy Weights Toolbox
• Mentoring in partnership with community
  organizations
• Social Marketing Campaign

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Key Messages

• Healthy Activity
• Physical Activity Reduce TV time
• Healthy Eating
• Adult and child division of responsibility
• Healthy Nutrition
• Balanced meals and proper portion sizes

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Key Messages

• Healthy Drinks
• Water and low-fat milk vs. high calorie drinks
  and fruit juicepromote breastfeeding
• Healthy Weight
• Promoting healthy body image Proper assessment
  of weight

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Social Marketing Campaign

• Reach parents through early learning centers
• Materials include
• Classroom posters
• Parent information sheets
• Parent sharing boards
• Crafts that promote key messages

• Promote key messages from interactive
  training and promote toolbox

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Example one week of the campaign

• Week 3 An Hour a day to play.
• Classroom poster
• Parent information sheets distributed
• Parent sharing board
• Rhythm Shakers craft

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Summary of Results

• At 6 months post-training, 76 of participants
  reported using toolbox ideas or activities
• At 6 months post-training,
• 61.5 served a greater variety of foods
• 63.5 reported providing more physical activity
• After the social marketing campaign, parents
  reported
• Serving children fewer high calorie drinks
• (mean2.53, plt0.03)
• Viewing less television (mean2.05 compared to
  mean2.78)

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For the future

• Full community implementation in Columbus
  neighborhoods
• Additional program evaluation
• Seeking additional funding support for
  implementation activities
• Work with influential community organizations to
  coordinate efforts in the fight against obesity

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