How Early Learning Centers Can Help Quell the Obesity Crisis

I was among the guests on a recent segment for the BAM Radio Educator’s Channel that posed this question: What can we do to reduce today’s high rates of obesity among young kids? What roles should child care centers, preschools, and elementary schools play?

For one, ensure that children get plenty of time to romp around and exercise during the day, says Russell Pate, director of the Children’s Physical Activity Group at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.  One might think that young kids are always moving and burning off energy, but they need the space and time to do so.  That means providing large rooms for indoor play when the weather is bad and opportunities for “gross motor” work like riding trikes and bikes around the blacktop. And that means being thoughtful about these needs when setting policies related to school construction, playgrounds and recess time.

Listen to the show to hear more suggestions from Pate and another guest, JoAnne Owens-Nauslar, director of corporate and community development for the GeoMotion Group, an Orlando company that specializes in fitness programming. You’ll also hear some news from me about recent research on how child care centers can make a difference by promoting healthy meal nights for parents and their families.