SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) The number of children considered obese has tripled in the U.S. in the past three decades. The University of Utah Health Care is trying to combat the epidemic with education, at a very young age.
The Cook healthy, Eat healthy, Be healthy program is designed for children who are age five to eight. Twenty-two Utah schools are participating in the new program this year. A team of nutrition students visited elementary schools this fall, armed with boxes of tiny aprons, cookbooks that double as coloring books, crayons and information pamphlets for parents.
They taught the youngest kids in the elementary about making good food choices with the hope they will not become part of an alarming trend. Cheri Rieben from the U says “There are about 21% of kids in elementary school that are already considered overweight, and about half of those kids are considered obese.” That is higher than the national average. She also says their research shows 80% of Utah kids who are overweight by the time they are in kindergarten will stay that way through age 12. Rieben says” most habits are formed when kids are younger and by the time they have hit that twelve years of age, they have already formed some pretty good habits that will stick with them over the long run.”
That’s why the U of U is starting while the children are still very young, encouraging them to drink more water, and milk, and to avoid soda and juice. They also caution them about making wise choices when at fast food restaurants, and eating healthy snacks after school.
Before the participating children finish the school year, the nutrition students will return to see what difference, if any the program has made in their eating habits.
To make the program more fun, they have created a website with more nutritional information and recipes. They are also accepting recipes for their healthy recipe contest. The lucky winner will get a Wii Fit. All children are encouraged to participate, even if they don’t attend a school currently in the program. The website is: www.kholshealthykids.com The program was made possible by grant money from Kohl’s.
