Exercise – regular physical activity and healthy food preparation/eating are the ways to get and maintain a healthy weight. It is of crucial importance because being overweight and obese is a risk factor for a number of preventable chronic illnesses, with consequences that affect early childhood development, pregnancy outcomes and the quality of life and mortality.
In Missouri, almost two out of three adults are overweight or obese. Among preschoolers, ages 2 to 5, CDC Nutrition, Activity and Obesity data in 2010 indicates that 16.2 percent were overweight and 13.6 percent were obese.
There are encouraging and powerful efforts underway at the community level to educate some and retrain others on healthier food preparation and good nutrition as a method to reduce childhood obesity. Healthy Schools Healthy Communities is a five-year effort to reduce childhood obesity by five percent over five years. The work began in 2013, with participating school districts partnered with community organizations throughout the service area of the Missouri Foundation for Health.
In the 24 municipalities that make up the Normandy Schools Collaborative, Beyond Housing is its partner. Beyond Housing does community outreach, including nutrition education, grocery store transportation and funding for sports activities and environmental improvements while the school system’s wellness coordinator tracks Body Mass Index (BMI) data and other actions to create a healthier school environment for students in grades K-8.
“This measurements are intended to show results both of what’s going on in the schools and also what’s going on within the community,” said Healthy Communities Coordinator Becky Reinhart of Beyond Housing.
Candace Carter-Oliver, assistant superintendent for Student and Family Support Services for Normandy schools, said grant support for school wellness efforts “have resulted in increased levels of fitness and physical activity as well as eco-friendly playground equipment, and [increased] consumption of water.
Students’ body mass indexes (BMI) are calculated annually and individual goals are set by students and staff to reduce obesity levels, Carter-Oliver explained. “Additionally, students’ awareness of eating healthy choice options has increased as per survey results as each school has a designated bulletin board devoted toward healthy style eating and living.”
Reinhart said it is “pretty impressive” to see that there has been an impact. Beyond Housing works with Operation Food Search for offer affordable healthy cooking classes in locations throughout the collaborative area. Cooking Matters classes are available for children, teens, parents, families and childcare facilities.
“Actual daycare workers who are preparing meals for kids day-in and day-out, they got the training on how to stretch their limited food budget to prepare healthy food for the kids in their programs,” Reinhart said. “That goes a long way with helping daycare centers in our area maximize their budget and then also making sure that kids are eating healthy in early childhood education.”
In addition, Beyond Housing hosts a 24:1 pop-up produce stand at various ongoing community events.
“For big community events, we bring out the produce stand to make fresh fruits and vegetables a part of everyday life here,” Reinhart said.
She said another big success worth repeating next summer is healthy internship program for teenagers.
“We hired 10 interns to implement health education around healthy eating, also physical activities at the Pagedale Center,” Reinhart.
Playground improvements were made to promote physical activity.
“Right now we are working on a park in Wellston – Hobart Park, getting some updated equipment there; also helping with sponsoring transportation and equipment needs for some of the sports activities in the 24:1 footprint – basketball, football and Redbird Rookies baseball.”
