Little Bites, Big Steps
By Cyd Katz, WHYY’s Children’s Service
Have you heard Cookie Monster is cutting back on cookies and eating more fruits and vegetables? Gasp! Well there is a reason why the folks at Sesame Workshop have decided to make that change: The American Academy of Pediatrics has declared childhood obesity a national epidemic. Luckily, there is a way to prevent this problem. Little Bites, Big Steps is brought to you by WHYY’s Children’s Service. This new initiative focuses on the prevention of childhood obesity through educational workshops. The program is funded by KERA, Glaxo Smith Kline, and Dolfinger-McMahon who has partnered with WHYY and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Healthy Weight Program. Little Bites, Big Steps is for parents and educators who want to teach young children healthy habits from day one!
We have workshops available for parents and educators who are interested in participating in the Little Bites, Big Step program. Space is still available for the following dates:
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April 12, 2008 at CHOP from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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May 17, 2008 at WHYY from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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June 7, 2008 at CHOP from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Modules 1-3)
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June 9th, 2008 at CHOP from 6 p.m. - 8pm. (Modules 4 & 5)
To register contact Jennifer Wheeler:
PHONE (215) 351-1235
FAX (215) 351.1208
or email jwheeler@whyy.org
VIEW
Sesame Street weekdays at 6:30 and 10:30 a.m. on WHYY. Our favorite characters such as Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Telly are modeling to our children the importance of movement and eating right.
DO
Cooking with Kids on PBS gives examples on how to cook with your children and how to make it fun. The website gives step-by-step instructions on how cooking with children can teach them healthy eating habits as well as responsibility in the kitchen. Making healthy snacks that look fun will entice the children to eat the food more, and contributing to the cooking makes the food a reward.
What you need:
Ants on a Log: Celery, Peanut butter, and Raisins
Instruction: Smear the peanut butter on the celery. Then stick a couple of raisins, “the ants”, on the peanut butter. It’s simple, it’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s healthy.
It is important for kids to be physically active whether it is inside or outside the house. Parents must make sure that their children are active for at least an hour a day. Children love to dance; so turning on the radio for music is a good alternative to television. Going outdoors provides children with a way to explore and be active. If the neighborhood is bad or there is bad weather outside, be creative with indoor activities to keep children moving. Let children use their imagination to turn ordinary objects (clothes, toys, etc) into things they can play with.
READ
The following books are for parents and caregivers that want more information on promoting healthy lifestyles and combating the epidemic of childhood obesity.
A Parent’s Guide to Obesity: A Roadmap to Health The American Academy of Pediatrics and Sandra G. Hassink
This book contributes research from all angles of health including emotional, psychological, and medical factors that contribute to childhood obesity. This book also has tips on healthy meals and physical activities that range for children in the prenatal period to the age of adulthood.
Fed Up! Winning the War Against Childhood Obesity by Susan Okie
This book has up to date research and statistics on childhood obesity. The book contains personal stories from people and families that readers can relate to. Okie expresses why we have this current epidemic and the steps we can take to overcome it.
Overcoming Childhood Obesity by Colleen Thomason and Ellen Shanley
This book focuses on the prevention of childhood obesity. The authors of this book stress that if parents make healthy lifestyle changes for the whole family then the child will continue to eat well and exercise on their own.
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