Health News
- Wellcare Health Plans Gives Six Kentucky Ymca Programs $50,000 To Combat Childhood Obesity
WellCare Health Plans has gven six Kentucky YMCA programs a total of $50,000 to be used for childhood obesity programs, according to a news release. "Studies show that children and adolescents who are obese are likely to become obese adults who are more...
- Health Department Urges Kentuckians To Walk Regularly; State Ranks High In Obesity, Low In Physical Activity
With summer here, the state health department is urging Kentuckians to adopt a regular walking schedule to connect with friends and neighbors and improve health and fitness in a state that ranks high in obesity and low in physical activity....
- Study Shows A Decline In Obesity Rates In Preschool Children; Kentucky Ranks 6th In Obesity Among Pre-kindergartners
The rate of obesity in preschool-age children dropped about two-fifths over the past decade, according to a federal health survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Betsy McKay reports for the Wall Street Journal. The rate of...
- National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month: Policy Changes Underway In Ky. To Lower Its Very High Childhood Obesity Rate
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and a number of policy changes are underway to combat the increasing trend of overweight children in America and Kentucky, where one in three kids are on their way to developing Type 2 diabetes....
- September Is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
September has been proclaimed national Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, with President Obama asking Americans to "take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our nation's...
Health News
State health department issues 'call for action' to fight childhood obesity, seeks help from child-care providers
The state Department for Public Health has issued a "call for action" to fight childhood obesity, a long-term health burden in which Kentucky continually ranks in the top 10 among states, and currently first among high-school students.
The department's obesity-prevention program and the Partnership for a Fit Kentucky are encouraging early-child-care providers, education professionals, parents and health advocates to help battle obesity through training, family engagement, and aligning policies to meet or exceed best practices. For the full call to action, click here.
"It's no secret that childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country, and many young people are already overweight by the time they enter elementary school," Health Commissioner Stephanie Mayfield said.
Kentucky has 2,925 licensed child-care centers, licensed child-care homes or certified homes, so "The opportunity exists for these Kentucky centers to help reverse the growing childhood obesity epidemic," said Elaine Russell, coordinator of the agency's obesity prevention program. "These facilities offer a spectrum of opportunities for policy changes to directly address healthy foods and beverages, screen time limits, physical activity, breast-feeding support for Kentucky's children."
Supporting and educating families will be important for the success of an obesity-prevention project funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four thousand children in Boone, Campbell, Fayette, Jefferson and Kenton Counties are expected to benefit from the program the first year, and in 2015, 100 other early-care and education programs in other parts of the state will participate.
"We are all facing an epic battle against some of the highest levels of obesity and chronic disease in the country," Russell said. "If we don't act, we will be ignoring our responsibility to provide the foundation for a brighter, healthier state for future generations of Kentuckians."
The department is asking that those caring for young children join the call to action by going to the partnership's webpage or by emailing [email protected].
Kentucky is hosting the Southern Obesity Summit Oct. 5-7 in Louisville. For a story on it by Darla Carter of The Courier-Journal, click here.
The department's obesity-prevention program and the Partnership for a Fit Kentucky are encouraging early-child-care providers, education professionals, parents and health advocates to help battle obesity through training, family engagement, and aligning policies to meet or exceed best practices. For the full call to action, click here.
"It's no secret that childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country, and many young people are already overweight by the time they enter elementary school," Health Commissioner Stephanie Mayfield said.
Kentucky has 2,925 licensed child-care centers, licensed child-care homes or certified homes, so "The opportunity exists for these Kentucky centers to help reverse the growing childhood obesity epidemic," said Elaine Russell, coordinator of the agency's obesity prevention program. "These facilities offer a spectrum of opportunities for policy changes to directly address healthy foods and beverages, screen time limits, physical activity, breast-feeding support for Kentucky's children."
Supporting and educating families will be important for the success of an obesity-prevention project funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four thousand children in Boone, Campbell, Fayette, Jefferson and Kenton Counties are expected to benefit from the program the first year, and in 2015, 100 other early-care and education programs in other parts of the state will participate.
"We are all facing an epic battle against some of the highest levels of obesity and chronic disease in the country," Russell said. "If we don't act, we will be ignoring our responsibility to provide the foundation for a brighter, healthier state for future generations of Kentuckians."
The department is asking that those caring for young children join the call to action by going to the partnership's webpage or by emailing [email protected].
Kentucky is hosting the Southern Obesity Summit Oct. 5-7 in Louisville. For a story on it by Darla Carter of The Courier-Journal, click here.
- Wellcare Health Plans Gives Six Kentucky Ymca Programs $50,000 To Combat Childhood Obesity
WellCare Health Plans has gven six Kentucky YMCA programs a total of $50,000 to be used for childhood obesity programs, according to a news release. "Studies show that children and adolescents who are obese are likely to become obese adults who are more...
- Health Department Urges Kentuckians To Walk Regularly; State Ranks High In Obesity, Low In Physical Activity
With summer here, the state health department is urging Kentuckians to adopt a regular walking schedule to connect with friends and neighbors and improve health and fitness in a state that ranks high in obesity and low in physical activity....
- Study Shows A Decline In Obesity Rates In Preschool Children; Kentucky Ranks 6th In Obesity Among Pre-kindergartners
The rate of obesity in preschool-age children dropped about two-fifths over the past decade, according to a federal health survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Betsy McKay reports for the Wall Street Journal. The rate of...
- National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month: Policy Changes Underway In Ky. To Lower Its Very High Childhood Obesity Rate
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and a number of policy changes are underway to combat the increasing trend of overweight children in America and Kentucky, where one in three kids are on their way to developing Type 2 diabetes....
- September Is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
September has been proclaimed national Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, with President Obama asking Americans to "take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our nation's...