Obesity Discussion Forums

[Obesity Discussion]

http://www.fitky.org/

The Epidemic
63% of Kentucky adults are obese or overweight. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
24% of non-Hispanic white adults, 39% of non-Hispanic black adults, and 20% of Hispanic adults in Kentucky are obese. (CDC BRFSS, 2002)
30% of Kentucky high school students are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (CDC YRBSS, 2003)
35% of low-income children between two and five years of age in Kentucky are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. (CDC PedNSS, 2002)
The obesity rate among Kentucky adults doubled between 1990 and 2002. (CDC BRFSS, 1990, 2002)

Program Priorities
The Obesity Prevention Grant Steering Committee has begun work to organize the state process of developing a plan even as new members are being recruited. The plan will follow the best practices identified by CDC’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity and other experts and will take advantage of the many resources already existing in communities throughout Kentucky. Cities that have their own health initiatives are being identified, and the obesity program is networking with them.

The overarching goal of the state nutrition and physical activity program is to transform the way agencies and organizations throughout Kentucky collaborate to reduce obesity and other chronic diseases.


Partners
American Heart Association
Commonwealth Health, Bowling Green
Fit Louisville
Kentucky Association of County Officials
Kentucky Association of Health Department Administrators
Kentucky Cardiovascular Health Coalition
Kentucky Department of Education
Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Kentucky Diabetes Network
Kentucky Public Health Association
Lexington Fayette County Health Department
Southeast Dairy Council
United Auto Workers, Ford
University of Kentucky Extension Office
University of Kentucky Prevention Research Center
University of South Florida Prevention Research Center
University of Kentucky Rural Health, Hazard

Recent Accomplishments and Products
“Tweens� is a pilot social marketing initiative targeting behavior change in children between the ages of nine and 13. Six behaviors have been identified as priorities for change:
More physical activity in schools
More physical activity in community settings
More parental involvement in their children’s health
Less consumption of sweetened beverages
Smaller food portion sizes
More breakfast eating
“Loving Support� breast-feeding media campaign (with Kentucky Department of Public Health’s Nutrition Services Branch)

Upcoming Events and Products
A State Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention Plan in which partners across the state take responsibility for specific target populations or activities.
A logic model for the obesity prevention program.
Implementation of “Tweens,� a social marketing intervention targeting changes in behaviors related to nutrition and physical activity among children between the ages of 9 and 13.
Implementation of the “5 A Day Power Play� in elementary schools.
Project Period: 2003–2008
Year First Funded: 2003
Funding Stage: Capacity Building
Contact Person:
Wendy Carlin, MS, RD, LD
Program Coordinator
Kentucky Department of Public Health
Telephone: 502-564-7996, ext. 3748
E-mail: wendy.carlin@ky.gov
Web site: http://www.fitky.org/*


Data Sources
CDC BRFSS — CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
CDC PedNSS — CDC’s Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System
CDC YRBSS — CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obes...s/kentucky.htm

[Obesity Discussion]

Prevention Program For Childhood Obesity Developed And Tested By Researchers
23 Jul 2006

The waistlines of children continue to grow, along with the concern about the problem. Two University of Cincinnati researchers are recruiting a school, parents and children in fighting obesity as they test a new prevention program in Meade County, Ky. After spending spring conducting focus groups with children and their parents, the 12-week program, geared toward 129 fifth-graders, will be launched at an elementary school in Brandenburg, Ky., when school begins this fall.

The obesity intervention program is the creation of Megan Canavera, a registered dietician and master's degree candidate in the program of health promotion and education, UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, and her advisor, Manoj Sharma, associate professor of health promotion and education.

The UC researchers are coordinating with the Brandenburg school's physical education teacher as they test the intervention program developed around four specific components:

Regular physical activity
Enforcing healthy eating habits, such as limiting portion size, cutting soft drink consumption and adding fruits and vegetables to the children's diet Cutting back on time watching TV Improving parent-child communication to reinforce behaviors that cut back on obesity

Canavera, a 24-year-old native of Brandenburg, Ky., says she chose Meade County because of its diversity, resulting from families based around the U.S. Army Armor Center in Ft. Knox, Ky.

"Typically, urban areas are the focus of this kind of programming," Sharma says, "but we chose this area because rural areas do not have a lot of health education programs and the need there is much greater.

"Part of the problem is that children are becoming more sedentary - they're doing less and less physical activity and spending more and more time in front of the television and their computers," Sharma says. "A very high percentage of people do not eat five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables. We're consuming sugary, carbonated drinks and not getting enough water. It's not rocket science, all of these habits lead to obesity."

###

The University of Cincinnati researchers expect to report results of the study on the pilot obesity prevention program by March of next year. Funding for the study is supported by a $5,000 national award from the American Dietetic Association Foundation - the Ann A. Hertzler Award. The foundation called for proposals in 2006 to address the behavioral and social aspects of childhood obesity.

Sharma is also co-investigator with UC Assistant Professor Judy Murnan on a UC|21 Alignment Grant awarded by UC International to study behaviors to prevent obesity among primary school children in China, in a partnership with Beijing Normal University. He says the research will be comparing data from the American and Chinese obesity prevention programs.

Contact: Dawn Fuller
University of Cincinnati
Article

[Obesity Discussion]

Prevention Program For Childhood Obesity Developed And Tested By Researchers
23 Jul 2006

The waistlines of children continue to grow, along with the concern about the problem. Two University of Cincinnati researchers are recruiting a school, parents and children in fighting obesity as they test a new prevention program in Meade County, Ky. After spending spring conducting focus groups with children and their parents, the 12-week program, geared toward 129 fifth-graders, will be launched at an elementary school in Brandenburg, Ky., when school begins this fall.

The obesity intervention program is the creation of Megan Canavera, a registered dietician and master's degree candidate in the program of health promotion and education, UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, and her advisor, Manoj Sharma, associate professor of health promotion and education.

The UC researchers are coordinating with the Brandenburg school's physical education teacher as they test the intervention program developed around four specific components:

Regular physical activity
Enforcing healthy eating habits, such as limiting portion size, cutting soft drink consumption and adding fruits and vegetables to the children's diet Cutting back on time watching TV Improving parent-child communication to reinforce behaviors that cut back on obesity

Canavera, a 24-year-old native of Brandenburg, Ky., says she chose Meade County because of its diversity, resulting from families based around the U.S. Army Armor Center in Ft. Knox, Ky.

"Typically, urban areas are the focus of this kind of programming," Sharma says, "but we chose this area because rural areas do not have a lot of health education programs and the need there is much greater.

"Part of the problem is that children are becoming more sedentary - they're doing less and less physical activity and spending more and more time in front of the television and their computers," Sharma says. "A very high percentage of people do not eat five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables. We're consuming sugary, carbonated drinks and not getting enough water. It's not rocket science, all of these habits lead to obesity."

###

The University of Cincinnati researchers expect to report results of the study on the pilot obesity prevention program by March of next year. Funding for the study is supported by a $5,000 national award from the American Dietetic Association Foundation - the Ann A. Hertzler Award. The foundation called for proposals in 2006 to address the behavioral and social aspects of childhood obesity.

Sharma is also co-investigator with UC Assistant Professor Judy Murnan on a UC|21 Alignment Grant awarded by UC International to study behaviors to prevent obesity among primary school children in China, in a partnership with Beijing Normal University. He says the research will be comparing data from the American and Chinese obesity prevention programs.

Contact: Dawn Fuller
University of Cincinnati
Obesity in Kentucky