hhp

Help Children
Grow Up Healthy


HAPPY HEALTHY PRESCHOOLERS identifies overweight central Ohio preschoolers between the ages of 1-6, and works with their families and the community to encourage behaviors that promote healthy eating and physical activity

The 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 activities and discussions.


Being An Overweight Child Has Risks

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, strokes and liver disease. According to the 2008 Collaborative Children’s Health Report, produced by several community partners, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Columbus Public Health, the obesity epidemic threatens children’s health on a scale unequaled by any other contemporary health issue.

For young children who are overweight or at risk, central Ohio has few existing programs to which their families can be referred. 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 is a resource for physicians, nurses and care providers to refer central Ohio preschoolers ages 1-6. The program 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 children in the City of Columbus are overweight.
  • 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.

 

We hope to raise $87,500 to benefit children ages 1-6 and their families through participation in Happy Healthy Preschoolers programming.