Healthy Habits Program Benefits Children from 16 Elementary School in L.A.
An obesity prevention drive by the Cedars-Sinai's medical Centers (CSMC) has been promoting nutrition and fitness among second graders from 16 schools in Los Angeles for the past decade and it seems the program has had some positive influence.
The non-profit medical center launched a ten-week Healthy Habits program during 2004 for children and parents from poor neighborhoods to instill healthy eating habits and to promote physical activities.
The results from a survey of a month-long program of parents of 700 second grade students who underwent the Healthy Habits program has turned in some impressive figures.
The survey revealed that 72 percent reported drinking low or non-fat milk and increased intake of vegetables. Nearly 62 percent of the children ate whole gains while 82 percent also reported increased consumption of fruits. The results also revealed almost 68 percents of these children regularly indulged in physical activities.
The Cedars-Sinai Medical Centers has multiple obesity prevention workshops in partnerships with schools that engage children, parents and teachers in promoting critical thinking and skills for healthy communities. They include interactive sessions on health implications caused by imbibing sugary drinks and beverages and it is done in a fun way with games, after-school cooking programs and drawing pictures of healthy plates.
Carolyn Buenaflor, associate director of the Cedars-Sinai's Healthy Habits Program, said in a news statement, "Beyond our Healthy Habits lessons, we want to support teachers and do what we can to promote activities such as this that allow children to practice healthy eating habits in a fun and festive atmosphere."
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly 70 percent of the children are at risk of suffering from a heart problem.
Obesity is a serious issue that can reduce a person's lifespan by 20 years and according to the experts from CSMC, about one-fourth of American children are obese and only one-third are physically active.
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