By Sarah Jane Rosser, Staff Writer
Sunday, August 5, 2007 — Obesity in young children is on the rise and Stanly County has chosen to address the problem head on.
Stanly County Smart Start Partnership for Children initiated and funded a program, Healthy FUNdamentals, to educate the community about the importance of healthy nutrition and exercise for children as well as adults.
“You can’t force what your children don’t like, but you can encourage them to do what they love,” Director Karen Brown said.
After serving eight years in the health promotions department at Stanly County Regional Medical, Brown took the opportunity to educate the public on childhood obesity. Recently, Brown partnered with All-Star Learning Center in New London, Little Friends Daycare in Albemarle and Quality Child Care Center, Inc. in Oakboro.
Every member of each daycare staff participated in a stroke screening which tested blood sugar, blood pressure, height and weight measurements, waist and hip measurements, lipid panels and a Bruit check, which are blockages in the arteries.
“We are trying to get across to daycare staff that the kids are with them the majority of the time,” Brown said. “They feel like they have to take care of themselves.”
Children’s parents are receiving newsletters that include a fun activity for their children, a fun snack, a general parenting tip as well as bonus information with the height and weight of each child.
Staff at Quality Child Care, Inc. had their screening on Wednesday. Lynn Huneycutt, executive director of the center, said she is excited about the new program for both staff and children.
“This center is what it is today because of Smart Start,” she said.
Brown said that by the time a child is six years old, a pattern has already been set. Parents should start introducing new healthy foods beforehand.
“You may have to introduce new food to preschoolers 40 to 50 times before they adjust to it,” she said.
All three daycares are following a menu, eating more healthy foods such as peaches and cottage cheese and wheat bread sandwiches.
In 1995, Brown said that North Carolina had seven percent of 2-4 year olds labeled obese. In 2004, not even 10 years later, that number rose to 14.5 percent.
In addition to good nutrition, Brown said that technology has played a huge part in the role of obesity at such a young age.
“We are going to start seeing folks having strokes in their mid 20s and 30s,” she said. “Find what your children like to do and go with it.”
Brown hopes to add three more daycare centers before December and it will be first-come, first-served. Daycares who are interested, contact Karen Brown at (704) 984-4671 or karen.brown@stanly.org.
Sarah Jane Rosser can be contacted at snaponline26@yahoo.com
