COLUMBUS - The Ohio Department of Health last week announced
a new initiative to combat childhood obesity across the state. The early
childhood obesity prevention grant program will fund high-need communities and
build on existing community-based obesity prevention efforts. The state will
provide $500,000 for the program in each of the next two years.
“More than one third of children are overweight or obese in
Ohio,” said Dr. Ted Wymyslo, director at the Ohio Department of Health. “Ohio
is ranked as the 12th worst state for childhood obesity. Chronic diseases and
their risk factors, such as obesity, are estimated to cost Ohio nearly $60
billion annually in health-care costs and lost productivity. Without
significant change these costs are projected to increase by nearly $100 billion
by 2023.”
The program will take a holistic approach to early childhood
obesity prevention by coordinating messages around physical activity and
nutrition for children birth to 5 years of age. The health department says that
evidence shows that efforts to reverse the upward trend of childhood body mass
index should focus primarily on preventing obesity in those who are not yet
overweight, specifically in the youngest age groups, as nutritional and
physical activity habits are being developed.
Noting that childhood health and behaviors are directly
influenced by parental health and behaviors, the health department says that
the program will also focus on identifying parents who are at risk for or
currently diagnosed with a chronic disease such as diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. Parents will be referred to community resources to reduce their risk
for or improve their control of their chronic disease.
Funded counties will work with their early childhood
education centers, health-care systems and providers (both public and private),
public health providers (such as Head Start), and other community partners
(like YMCAs) to coordinate parent-centered education around physical activity
and nutrition.