Sat Nov 07 2009
By DARLENE PRINCE
Two programs sponsored by Family & Children First Council in Defiance County have taken a bite out of the childhood obesity problem in northwest Ohio.
At a business luncheon held Wednesday, Family & Children First Council celebrated the success of the first two years of its program and discussed plans to continue its efforts.
After a 2005 Ohio Department of Health survey found Defiance County had the ninth highest childhood obesity rate in the state and the highest rate in northwest Ohio, two programs were developed locally by the council that have helped parents deal with children's weight issues.
In 2006, the council was given a two-year Partnerships for Success grant with which it began the programs. One program was to assist children who are overweight and one was to prevent children from becoming overweight.
Tina Mohring, coordinator of the council, said it received a $175,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Youth Services. The grant runs from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2008. She said the agency received $75,000 in 2006 to conduct a needs assessment and make plans to address the problem. The next year, it got $100,000 to set up the programs.
Some of the problems the programs were addressing included the 35 percent of Defiance County third graders at risk of being overweight. About 38 percent of Defiance County youth spend three or more hours a day watching TV or in a sedentary activity.
Mohring said to help children who are overweight, the council developed the "Way to Go Kids" program that involves the parents and stresses fitness and nutrition. This program, which is nationally recognized, was held in the fall of 2007 and the spring of 2008 at Defiance Regional Medical Center (DRMC) and involved 28 families with both parents and children participating.
"Way to Go Kids" is an eight-week program that is designed to allow registered dietitians to teach children and parents about physical fitness and nutrition. Families learned about the benefits of exercise, how to read a food label and how to eat a lower-calorie and-fat meal at a fast food restaurant. One result of the program, parents said, was that their children were drinking more water and fewer sugar drinks.
Mohring said the "Way to Go Kids" program will continue with DRMC and with a new program partner, the Defiance YMCA.
The second part of the program is called "We Can!," and involves the We Can! scorecard. This is a physical activity program for Defiance County children from age 3 through grade six .
For each 30-minute session of physical activity, children could have a parent, teacher or coach sign a box on their scorecard. When the scorecard was full, it was turned in to the council and placed in a raffle for prizes that included bikes, pool passes and a Nintendo Wii. The prizes were given out this spring.
Mohring said more than 500 children in the county participated in the program. Cards returned in this spring's session showed almost 2,800 hours of exercise.
The council is also sponsored a parenting program held in collaboration with Defiance Clinic/Mercy Hospital of Defiance that involved six free classes focusing on how to choose healthier foods for the family, setting rules for food and eating, planning physical outings for families and setting limits on screen time for TV, computers and video games.
A DVD was made featuring local children doing exercises. Copies of the DVD will be given away at exercise programs held at the end of the summer.
Mohring said the council is looking for funding partners to continue the programs. She said the United Way of Defiance has signed on as a funding partner.
For more information on the programs, call Mohring at 419-782-6934.
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