|
|
||||
Programs take aim at childhood obesityAddressing the growing problem of childhood obesity has become a priority for Allina Hospitals and Clinics and the New Ulm Medical Center. Through partnerships and grants, including a grant from Kraft Foods in New Ulm, families in the area have benefited in the last two years from various programs targeting the crisis. Rebecca Fliszar, a Registered and Licensed Dietitian at NUMC, has been charged with making the childhood obesity initiative her focus. Fliszar is also a certified specialist in pediatric nutrition, one of only seven in the state of Minnesota. “Pediatric obesity is a growing epidemic and it is the responsibility of parents and community members to change this trend. For the first time, children are no longer expected to have a greater lifespan than their parents. By changing the habits and lifestyles of our kids, we are changing the face of America,” Fliszar said. Startling statistics back her up. The Centers for Disease Control states that the number of overweight children aged 6 to 19 has tripled within the past two decades. With that in mind, Fliszar has been instrumental in creating a weight loss program aimed at children entitled Shape Down. A grant from Kraft Foods in New Ulm helps to offset the cost of the program. The course requires two instructors – one to work with the children and one to work with their parents. “We teach strategies not only for improving nutrition, but also increasing the children’s self-esteem, maintaining a positive attitude and understanding why kids are eating the amounts and kinds of foods that they are,” Fliszar said. The classes are broken into two age groups: 6 to 9 and 10 to 12. Fliszar also sits on the Wellness Committee at New Ulm Area Catholic Schools. All schools are now required by federal mandate to have Wellness Committees that look at nutrition and physical activity throughout the school day. Sedentary lifestyles, uncontrolled portions and fast food are among the common culprits that Fliszar sees in the fight against childhood obesity. Battling a sedentary lifestyle has led to another initiative called the “Fit Kids” program, Fliszar said. This is an opportunity for elementary-aged children to spend two hours a week after school doing fun, healthy activities instead of turning on the TV or computer. NUMC is partnering with all three elementary schools and the Park and Recreation Program to bring this physical activity program to kids one day a week. Part of this program will also feature the Family Recreation Center pool being open to all school-aged kids on Fridays during the school year. This offers kids yet another opportunity to stay active even through the cold winter months. The newest program that New Ulm Medical Center has been part of implementing in area schools, with the help of a grant from the New Ulm Optimist Club, is called “DAAN,” a Native American word roughly translating to mean a healthy, balanced lifestyle. New Ulm is the first community after the pilot community to implement DAAN in their schools. The program consists of a health class curriculum that has been written for teachers in grades 2, 3 and 4. It teaches kids about healthy lifestyle choices such as choosing their meals and snacks wisely and maintaining an active lifestyle. The DAAN “kit” comes with a fully developed curriculum as well as food models, a skeleton, games and a host of other activities. The hands-on approach has been shown to be very effective with this target age group. There is also a newsletter that teachers may choose to send home to parents to keep them in touch with what their child is learning about a healthy lifestyle in school and what they can do to continue that education at home. These programs can go a long way toward battling childhood obesity. Fliszar encourages all families to take advantage of some or all of these programs being made available to the community. This is an excellent opportunity to invest in the health of our children. You are invited to join New Ulm Medical Center for this important project through a philanthropic gift.
|
||||
|
||||
New Ulm Medical Center
|
||||
|
||||
Print
Send to a Friend
