Health Behaviors Initiative
After
school programs help fight childhood obesity and hunger with healthy eating and
exercise
By Theresa Harrington
Reprinted courtesy of the Contra Costa Times
 
BAY
POINT — Fourteen-year-old Andy Balcazar eats healthy foods and stays
physically active because he doesn't want to get diabetes, which runs in his
family.
The
Riverview Middle School eighth-grader is one of dozens of teens participating
in a Mt. Diablo school district after-school program that gets them outdoors to
play sports and also gives them opportunities to grow, cook and eat nutritious
meals such as squash soup with whole-grain bread.
In
all, about 70,000 students statewide are joining them."My dad's a
diabetic," Andy said, as he and his friends made bread dough. "I'm
worried about it, because diabetes is not a disease you can get rid of."
To
help curb the rising incidence of childhood obesity and diabetes —
especially in poor areas — the nonprofit Center for Collaborative
Solutions began working with after-school programs more than three years ago,
providing training and sharing ideas and information. This work culminated
Thursday with the creation of 10 Healthy Behaviors Learning Centers with 17
campuses reaching thousands of children. The centers are models for others
interested in promoting nutrition and physical activity.
"We
hope that we will spread this," said Debra Mason, nutrition program
coordinator for the Mt. Diablo program, adding that 1 million children take
part in government-funded after-school programs throughout the state.
"It's all about children learning to change the world, and we know we can
do that one child at a time."
The
Riverside Middle and Holbrook Elementary school programs in the Mt. Diablo
school district are two of campuses selected to highlight healthy practices
that are making a difference in students' lives. Through partnerships with
organizations such as the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, the free
programs include on-site gardens where students grow vegetables and participate
in cooking classes.
The
food bank has donated tons of fresh produce to the programs, which families
take home, along with recipes. Program evaluations show that students and their
families are eating more fruits and vegetables at home than they did before
enrolling.
"We
have the huge potential of creating change in high-poverty areas," said
Andi Fletcher of the Center for Collaborative Solutions. "These are the
kids who are the most at risk of very serious health problems."
One
out of every three children will get Type 2 diabetes if changes are not made in
diet and exercise habits, Fletcher said.
"In
many of the areas where we work," she added, "it's one in two."
The
Mt. Diablo programs have adopted a strictly enforced no-junk-food rule.
Instead, children eat the cauliflower, squash and broccoli they grow in their
gardens and cook up delicious meals they encourage their parents to replicate
at home.
State
Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, praised the program, saying he hopes it will
catch on throughout California, helping turn around recently released findings
that today's youngsters will have shorter life spans than their parents.
"In
the last 10 years," he said, "obesity in adults has doubled. But
among children, it has tripled."
The
program helps prevent obesity and it builds community leaders and a sense of
personal responsibility, said Neal Kohatsu, of the state department of public
health.
"And
you're doing it in such a creative way that it's infectious," he said.
Red
peppers, onions and freshly grown squash boiled in a stock pot in the school
kitchen, as appetizing aromas wafted through the air.
"I
like cooking vegetable soup," said Emani Burks, 13. "I wanted my mom
to make it, and she did. She really liked it."
Andy
said he appreciates the after-school program, where he learns skills and enjoys
hanging out with his friends.
"It's
better than being at home and being bored," he said. "They have us
outside running around, instead of just watching TV."
Theresa
Harrington covers the Mt. Diablo school district. Reach her at 925-945-4764 or tharrington@bayareanewsgroup.com.
More
information about Healthy Behaviors Learning Centers is at 925-458-0416 or
www.ccscenter.org.
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