Kids overweight, out of shape? Research program aims to help | Families

The Green River District Health Department, Henderson Community College, the Henderson County Diabetes Coalition, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, and Methodist Hospital have partnered to offer a study program called We Can!  This is a research-based program developed by the National Institutes of Health to help organizations address the important issue of childhood obesity.  The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians fitness initiative are partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on We Can!

We Can! stands for Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition and focuses on three important behaviors:  improved food choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time.  This is a four-week program with dynamic activities for parents to encourage attaining healthy weights for family members. Educational programs and activities for the children will be offered while the parents are in sessions.  To further enhance this program, participants will be served healthy meals and provided copies of the recipes.  Attendance incentives are offered each week and at the conclusion of all sessions.  Children between the ages of 5 and 18 are targeted for this study and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

The free sessions are scheduled for February 27, March 6, March 13, and March 20.  Meals will be served at 5:30 pm and programs will be conducted from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.  All sessions will be held in the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Education and Expo Center, 3341 Zion Road, Henderson.  A group follow-up session will be held on April 24, 2012.  All sessions will be offered at no cost to the participants.

BMI’s on each child and parent/legal guardian will be measured at the first, last, and follow-up sessions.  Surveys will be given to all parents/legal guardians at the beginning of the program and again at the end to measure any improvements attributable to study participation.

For more information or to be screened for enrollment, please call Methodist Hospital clinical dietitian, Bonnie McCarty, at 270.827.7549.  Deadline for enrollment is February 13.