Healthy Living for Kids Television Show

New Episodes Air on the Lancaster School Network, (Time Warner Cable Channel 6) Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.

Get involved now with all the fun and learning that will take place!

KEY CONCEPT:  An Educational, Family-Oriented Cooking & Fitness Show for the Purpose of Teaching Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Habits for Children and Adults
 

Background Information:

            Action for Healthy Kids organized in Fairfield County during the 2004-2005 school year. Focused on addressing the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, the group developed Healthy Kids and Families Day on October 1, 2005 during which numerous community health and services agencies provided games and information focused on health, nutrition, and fitness for students and families of young children.  The event was a huge success.

            In April 2006, a partnership was formed between officials from the Robert K Fox Family Y, The Fairfield County Health Department, and Lancaster City School Food Service Department to write and submit a PEP Grant (Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grant, U.S. Dept of Education) with a goal of providing fitness and nutrition education and programs after school, on weekends, and during the summer months in multiple locations throughout Lancaster over a three year period.

            21st Century Community Learning Center Grants at East and West Schools have components that must address student recreation, socialization, and family health. In 2006, a new 21st CCLC grant application was submitted that would support similar after school programming at South, Cedar Heights and Amanda schools. These grants could extend through 2010.

 

Desired Outcomes

  1. Development of a community educational program to specifically address the epidemic of overweight, undernourished, and sedentary youth that results in heightened nutritional awareness in the home and at school.
  2. Motivating kids and their families to make informed choices about eating healthy foods and snacks at home and at school.
  3. Teaching and supporting parents of all socio-economic groups and backgrounds about how to prepare easy and economical family meals and snacks for the home as well as how to choose healthy foods when eating in the community.
  4. Demonstrating to parents how to shop for healthy food items and ingredients in supermarkets.
  5. Gaining cooperation and involvement of public/private school food service, health/medical, recreational, service, and government personnel to support community-based campaign and initiatives of the Action for Healthy Kids partnership.
  6. Increase community awareness of healthy eating and exercise/fitness habits.
  7. Compliance with and support of mandated local school district wellness plans.
  8. Develop a model, best-practice program for distribution throughout other communities.
 

The Vision

    • A weekly 30 minute, multi-part, interactive, education-focused show locally developed and filmed television show utilizing the kitchen at the West After School Center and other key locations within Lancaster and viewing area. (i.e. stores, restaurants, etc.)
    • A local Host Personality will shop, discuss food and snack shopping, storage, recipes, preparation, and serving tips for parents.
    • Students from after school programs and children (and parents) from invited classrooms from public and private schools will serve as the audience and “testers” of the prepared foods.  The audience can change weekly.
    • The show will feature dialogue from the celebrity chef with students and parents, local food suppliers, dieticians, cooks/chefs, health officials, medical personnel, educators, and interested citizens.
    • 30 minute show follows a consistent, instructional format with allowances for human interaction, humor, and fun.
    • Possible syndication to other educational channels.
 

NEEDS:         

  1. Program Coordinator/Administrator (must be knowledgeable and experienced with nutrition, administration, and capable of networking and soliciting commercial support)
  2. Office Manager & Scriptwriter
  3. TV Production Crew (possible support from LSN classes)
  4. Host Personality
  5. Students, parents, and guests for audience
  6. Dedicated space for filming of show, equipment, and resources
 

Facts from Action for Healthy Kids  (www.ActionForHealthyKids.org )

 

·         Overweight and obesity impairs or threatens the health of millions of Americans.

·         Poor diet and inadequate physical activity are the second leading cause of death in the United States and together account for at least 300,000 deaths annually.

·         Nine million American children are overweight, triple the number in 1980.

·         Childhood obesity among ages 2-5 has increased 35% in the past 10 years.

·         There is no indication that the incidence of overweight among children is decreasing

Contributing Factors

·         Poor eating habits and lack of physical activity are root causes of overweight and obesity.

·         Only 2% of school-aged children consume the recommended daily number of servings from all five major food groups, and only 30% consume the suggested amount of milk.

·         More than 80% of children and adolescents eat too much fat (more than 30% of total calories from fat). More than 90% eat too much saturated fat.

·         Ninety-eight percent of 6-18 year olds report eating at least 3 snacks per day, and more than 50% report 5 or more snacks daily.

·         More than 38% of students watch television 3 or more hours per average school day.

·         Fewer than 25% of American children get at least 30 minutes of any type of physical activity every day.

Health Consequences

·         Childhood obesity is a medical concern, not a cosmetic issue.

·         The vast majority (between 70 and 80%) of overweight children and adolescents continue to be overweight in adulthood or will become obese adults.

·         Childhood weight problems can lead to complications such as elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, joint problems, Type II diabetes, gallbladder disease, asthma, depression and anxiety.

·         Severely overweight and obese children often suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, isolation from their peers, low self-esteem, and eating disorders.  

·         Of overweight 5 to 10 year-olds, 61% have at least one risk factor for heart disease.

Academic Consequences

Because multiple variables must be controlled when examining the relationship between weight and achievement, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Further, a correlation between the two doesn’t necessarily imply causation. However, several studies have examined this link.

·         Severely overweight children and adolescents (those above the 95th percentile for weight) were four times more likely to report “impaired school functioning”.

·         Severely overweight inner city school children tended to have abnormal scores on the Child Behavior Checklist, and were twice as likely to be placed in special education or a remedial class setting.

·         Overweight kindergartners had significantly lower math and reading test scores at the beginning of the year than did their non-overweight peers, and these lower scores continued into first grade.

Economic consequences

·         Severely overweight children miss four times as much school as normal-weight kids. If such health problems keep children out of school just one day per month, this could cost a large school district like Los Angeles about $15 million each year. An average size school district could likely forfeit $95,000 to $160,000 annually.

·         Obesity-associated annual hospital costs for children increased more than threefold from $35 million during 1979-1981 to $127 million during 1997-1999.

·         National health expenditures related to adult obesity range from $98-$129 billion annually.

Websites Resources:

 

Center for Disease Control - http://www.cdc.gov/

 

Action for Healthy Kids - http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/

 

United States Department of Agriculture - http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome

 

Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP Grant) -- http://www.pepgrant.info/