Maryville Daily Forum
By Connie Goff
Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States, particularly among young children from low-income and minority groups. Poor diet and inactivity are significant contributors to this growing health threat.
Area Head Start centers, which enroll 188 children, are taking steps to make a difference in the lives of the children enrolled in the Head Start program.
According to Deloris Shipley, Head Start Director, seven Head Start centers in the five-county area have recently adopted a program initiated by the Region III office of the Administration for Children and Families. The program is designed to prevent and reverse the negative consequences of obesity in Head Start children.
"I am Moving, I am Learning" is a project that has the preschool children enrolled in Head Start up and on their feet for at least 60 minutes out of the four hours they are in the classroom.
The children are also learning about the foods they eat. As they sit down together and eat a family-style meal, they discuss what is good for them, the different food groups and how they can make good choices about what they eat.