Help Children
Grow Up Healthy
HAPPY s t aHEALTHY r t s PRESCHOOLERS
m a r t
united HAPPY H way’s PRESCH Being An Overweight Child Has Its Risks According to the 2008 Collaborative Children’s Health Report, the obesity epidemic threatens children’s health on a scale unequaled by any other contemporary health issue. In Ohio, 1 in 3 children are overweight by the age of 8 and have a greater risk for serious health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and liver disease. While parents and caregivers want the best for their children, and may know the benefits of healthy food and physical activity, they may not know the best and most affordable ways to incorporate them into their child’s daily life. The Happy Healthy Preschoolers program identifies overweight central Ohio preschoolers between the ages of 1-6, and works with the children, their families and the community to encourage behaviors that promote healthy eating and physical education.
The need in our community • 25 percent of Franklin County children are overweight while 30 percent of overweight children are in the City of Columbus. • Obesity rates have tripled in school age children during the past 30 years. • Type 2 diabetes diagnoses in children have risen dramatically in the last 15 years – from 5 percent of diabetes patients to 30-50 percent nationally. • In 2002, there were 50,000 children in Columbus whose body mass index was above the 95th percentile, well above the national average.
HEALTHY HOOLERS Making The Healthy Choice The Happy Healthy Preschoolers program offers free, convenient one-hour workshops to help parents and care givers incorporate better nutrition habits and physical activity into their child’s daily life. During the six-week program, parents learn how to understand portion sizes, read food labels correctly and find physical activity opportunities on a budget. Workshops are designed to be interactive, so that parents can build a network of support among other parents. Community members trained to facilitate workshops guide group role-playing and discussions around the following topics: • Quick and Healthy Breakfasts • Healthy Beverages • Television Alternatives on a Budget • Healthy Snacks • Physical Play • Eating Dinner as a Family
The Power of Collaboration United Way of Central Ohio is working collaboratively with the CenBen Foundation, Columbus City Schools, Columbus Public Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, The Ohio State University Department of Human Nutrition and the YMCA of Central Ohio to help parents engage their children in healthy habits. In 2009, Happy Healthy Preschoolers plans to open sites in multiple locations throughout central Ohio, including YMCAs, preschools, faith-based centers and community houses.
You can make a difference. We hope to raise $87,500 to educate children ages 1-6 and their families through participation in Happy Healthy Preschoolers programming. If you believe, as we do, that every child deserves to live a full and healthy childhood, then please invest in United Way’s Happy Healthy Preschoolers program. We know eating right and physical activity are contributors to a long life. It’s up to us to pass those habits onto our children. With your investment we can give parents, caregivers and children the tools they need and the future they deserve. Join us. Invest your money, use your voice, volunteer your time to give our children the best possible start in life.
360 South Third Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215-5485 • Tel 614.222.2700 Fax 614.224.5435 TTY 614.227.2710