Nutrition and exercise start today

Childhood overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions and are major public health problems nationally and globally. An estimated 25 million American children and adolescents are overweight or obese, with children from families of low socio-economic status experiencing a disproportionate burden. This study was implemented to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive family-based intervention targeting Hispanic children (ages 5-14) and their parent(s) in a rural pediatric clinic. The goal of this project was to reduce childhood overweight and obesity in a rural Hispanic community characterized by low rates of physical activity and high rates of television viewing among youth. Interventions included increasing activity levels, reducing sedentary behavior and consumption of sweetened beverages, and introducing healthy dietary behaviors known to decrease the likelihood of developing obesity and diabetes among children. The study focused on parent-child dyads to improve healthy behaviors. Policy implications and the impact of social justice issues will be discussed.