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Nutritious Story Time Increases Children Awareness of 5A-Day The Color Way
| Name | Marlyne R. Walker | | Situation | Only one in five children eats five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, as recommended by the National Cancer Institute. Approximately one in five children in the US are now overweight. Studies show that obesity has doubled among American children in the last 30 years and that Type 2 diabetes, traditionally an adult disease, is increasing dramatically among
children and teenagers. Childhood obesity is related to poor food choices and/or limited physical activity. Even though heart attack and stroke are rare in children, evidence shows that the process leading to those conditions begins in childhood. | | Response | To confront this problem of childhood obesity and to increase the awareness of preschool children, their parents and child care providers, the agent adapted Nutritious Story Time from Orange County Health Department. Florida provided 107 "Give Me 5 a Day!" books to preschool children participating in Nutritious Story time. This learning activity is an opportunity to combine nutrition education with literacy and teaches parents through their children. Research has shown that one of the biggest predictors of health status is literacy. Also, it provides a meaningful nutrition experience for preschool children. Nutritious Story Time was offered to 5 child care center/sites in Newberry County. The
Nutritious Story time consists of reading a book with a nutrition related theme: Give Me 5 a Day, Feast for 10, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and I Will Never Eat a Tomato. After reading the story, the group played a game to reinforce the nutrition message, made a craft or prepared a healthy snack, and shared nutrition information with parents. Music and songs were used to encourage children to sing or dance ( increase physical activity) to reinforce the nutrition message. At the end of the Nutritious Story Time, nutrition information was distributed to parents or child care providers and books to children. | | Impact | During the registered dietitian/agent monthly visit, (several months later after Give Me 5 activity) after making fruits on a stick (fruit kabobs) , a 4 year old girl said to the dietitian/agent “Give Me 5 a Day! That’s how many vegetables and fruits you need to eat each day”. The other children in the classroom cheered “Give me 5! Give me 5! Give me 5 a day!” The children were also able to recognize the 5 A-Day The Color Way logo and share nutrition information with parents. This activity Nutritious Story Time addresses school readiness skills which will help preschoolers be healthy and ready to succeed in school and life. |
Last update8/15/2007
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