Grant expands Clemson’s efforts to address childhood obesity

Published: August 9, 2010

CLEMSON — Clemson University’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program has teamed with the S.C. Department of Education and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to administer a Team Nutrition project called Healthy Habits for a Lifetime.

The program received a $101,000 grant to provide nutrition education throughout the state, targeting approximately 12,000 children in child-care centers, 800 child-care operators and staff members, and 1,000 community and family members. The goal is to create a cadre of individuals — parents, school food-service personnel, school administrators and teachers — who embrace a culture of wellness for themselves and the children and communities they serve.

Efforts like the Healthy Habits for a Lifetime program; Clemson’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, which reaches more than 10,000 children and nearly 1,000 parents each year; and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign are signs of the growing response across the nation to address the epidemic of childhood obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control says obesity trends among children in preschool age groups are a prime indicator of the probability they will be obese as they become adults. Data from the CDC’s NHANES surveys (1976–1980 and 2003–2006) show that the prevalence of obesity between surveys has increased from 5 percent to 12.4 percent among children aged 2–5 years. Furthermore, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that children who are obese in their preschool years are more likely to develop diabetes, hypertension, depression, asthma and sleep apnea.

Katherine Cason, director of Clemson’s Center for Healthy Living and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, will administer the Healthy Habits for a Lifetime grant.

“Healthy child development depends on eating nutritious food and being physically active every day," Cason said. "This is especially important during the preschool years when children are rapidly building their brains and bodies. The Healthy Habits for a Lifetime program can greatly influence what children eat and do, and can play a key role in preventing childhood obesity."

For more information about the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, visit http://www.clemson.edu/efnep/. To learn more about other health, wellness and nutrition programs and services coordinated by Clemson, contact Cason at 864-723-4520.

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For 40 years, Clemson University’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has helped children, youth and young families develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behavior needed to eat smart and move more. EFNEP has helped more than 600,000 children and youth, as well as more than 100,000 adults, gain knowledge and practical skills to make positive behavior changes in the areas of nutrition, food safety, food resource management and physical activity.

In July 2009, Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute teamed up with the university’s food science and human nutrition department to develop the Center for Healthy Living. Current programs and initiatives include EFNEP, Zest Quest, SNAP-Ed and 4-H health and wellness programs. The mission of the center is to help children, youth, families and individuals of all ages improve their health and well-being through research and education. The center will work to ensure the effective collaboration of all health and wellness focused initiatives and resources managed by the Youth Learning Institute.

The S.C. Department of Education’s Office of Health and Nutrition administers the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Afterschool Snack, Summer Feeding and Food Distribution Program in South Carolina, through which it provides federal funds to participating districts for meals and snacks served in schools; special marketing projects and procurement assistance to promote more nutritious eating habits; conducts on-site training, nutrition projects and grants; and administers the Food Distribution Program.