Helping Kids Off to a Healthy Start in Life

Last week’s report from the CDC indicating that one-third of adults and children in the U.S. are obese and predictions that 42% of us will be obese by 2030, is downright frightening.

We all know obesity leads to diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other medical problems. As we struggle to address this epidemic, the Family Health and Wellness Program at Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk continues with its efforts to work with child care providers to help our youngest children get off to a healthy start.

The Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) program is part of the Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play in Suffolk County grant which focuses on creative strategies to prevent and reduce obesity-related health problems and improve overall health. The grant was funded by the NYS Department of Health.

The NAP SACC program works directly with child care center directors and staff to improve children’s level of physical activity and nutritional behaviors. The goals of the NAP SACC program are in line with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Child Care initiative.

The goals of the NAP SACC program are:

• To provide child care facilities with an easy tool to evaluate their own nutrition and physical activity environment and make changes to support healthy behaviors in young children. • To promote healthy eating in young children in child care settings by serving appropriate foods and role modeling healthy eating behaviors.

• To promote active play in young children in child care settings by providing plenty of indoor/outdoor active playtime and role modeling active lifestyles.

• To reach out to parents through child care settings to promote healthy behaviors at home.

The NAP SACC program is free and provides child care providers with up to 9 hours of training in the areas of: Childhood obesity; Nutrition for young children; Physical activity for young children; Screen media and early childhood; Personal health; and Working with families.

For more information on CCE's NAP SACC program, call Kerri Kreh Reda at 727-7850, ext. 330.