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UPublish story by akronchildrens
POSTED: 11:35 a.m. EDT, Jun 06, 2008
AKRON, Ohio (June 4, 2008) - While there has been a great deal of talk about the growing number of overweight children and teens, the underlying causes for the childhood obesity epidemic may not be as simple as getting kids off the couch.What if the children live in an inner city neighborhood with no parks and no grocery stores that sell fresh produce? What if the school cafeteria has unhealthy options for sale? What if safety concerns make parents reluctant to allow their children to play outside?
Summit County’s Building Healthy Kids Initiative, which has been studying the issue of childhood obesity since 2005, is seeking input from the community to identify factors that may be contributing to the problem – factors beyond the control of individual children and families, but maybe not community and government leaders.
The online assessment is free and only takes about 15 minutes to complete. The survey has questions about health and wellness opportunities in schools and child care centers, access to fresh, healthy foods and clean water, opportunities to participate in physical fitness facilities, the availability of workplace wellness programs, and access to health care and health insurance.
“Summit County’s Building Healthy Kids Initiative has teamed up with the Prevention Institute and the Strategic Alliance to offer this survey, called the Environmental Nutritional and Activity Community Tool (ENACT) in our community,” said Iris Meltzer, administrative director of Adolescent Services at Akron Children’s Hospital and chair of the Building Healthy Kids Initiative. “The results will allow us to identify gaps and pinpoint problems that can be addressed on a community-wide scale.”
Any adult who lives or works in Summit County is invited to participate in the online survey from June 16 to July 5. They should log onto www.akronchildrens.org/ENACT.
Paper-and-pencil versions of the survey will also be available at various locations throughout the community during that three-week period.
To get a complete picture of what’s going on in the community, the project needs a variety of perspectives. So, input is needed from Summit County residents representing a wide range of ages, neighborhoods, backgrounds and experiences, including those of parents, caregivers, teachers, health care professionals, public health professionals, clergy members, and fitness professionals.
The results will be shared with the public at a town hall meeting from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 in the auditorium of the Considine Professional Building on the main campus of Akron Children’s Hospital.
“Addressing childhood obesity requires much more than individual behavior change,” said Meltzer. “Effective strategies need to take the entire community into account – where children go to school, where they live, what food is available to them and what physical activity and nutrition policies impact their lives. By asking people who live and/or work in Summit County to use the ENACT assessment, we can evaluate past and current efforts and set a course to improve the health and well-being of our children.”
Take forces have been at work
According to Meltzer, Summit County has already made gains in tackling the issue of childhood obesity. In early 2005, Akron Children’s Hospital, the Akron Health Department, the Summit County Health Department and the Barberton Health District hosted a community-wide conference that led to the development of a comprehensive plan to address the issue. Four task forces were formed to tackle the issue of childhood obesity by means of community awareness, public policy, education and programming.
That core group has expanded and now also has representatives from the University of Akron, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Summit County Educational Service Center, Akron Public Schools, Cuyahoga Falls City Schools, Twinsburg City Schools, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society,
and Summa Health System’s Department of Family Medicine.
In response to the concern that parents and children were unaware of meal portion sizes, two years ago the Building Healthy Kids Initiative created the Portion Distortion Kit, which uses common household items like a deck of cards, an egg and a golf ball to illustrate proper portion sizes. Local physicians and nutritional experts are using the kits to help parents and children envision various serving sizes.
About Akron Children’s Hospital
Akron Children’s Hospital cares for about 500,000 patients each year and performs more pediatric surgeries than any other hospital in northeast Ohio. Children's operates a 253-bed pediatric hospital in downtown Akron, housing a regional burn center for both adults and children, a pediatric trauma center, regional neonatal and pediatric intensive care units and more than 30 clinical specialties. Akron Children’s offers pediatric care at more than 40 locations throughout the region. In addition, more than 100 advocacy, education, outreach and research programs are provided to children and their families. Akron Children’s Hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission and Magnet Recognition Status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
About the Prevention Institute
Based in Oakland, Calif., the Prevention Institute is a non-profit national center dedicated to improving community health and well-being by building momentum for effective primary prevention. Primary prevention means taking action to build resilience and to prevent problems before they occur. The institute’s work is characterized by a strong commitment to community participation and promotion of equitable health outcomes among all social and economic groups. Since its founding in 1997, the organization has focused on injury and violence prevention, traffic safety, health disparities, nutrition and physical activity, and youth development.
AKRON, Ohio (June 4, 2008) - While there has been a great deal of talk about the growing number of overweight children and teens, the underlying causes for the childhood obesity epidemic may not be as simple as getting kids off the couch.
What if the children live in an inner city neighborhood with no parks and no grocery stores that sell fresh produce? What if the school cafeteria has unhealthy options for sale? What if safety concerns make parents reluctant to allow their children to play outside?
Summit County’s Building Healthy Kids Initiative, which has been studying the issue of childhood obesity since 2005, is seeking input from the community to identify factors that may be contributing to the problem – factors beyond the control of individual children and families, but maybe not community and government leaders.
The online assessment is free and only takes about 15 minutes to complete. The survey has questions about health and wellness opportunities in schools and child care centers, access to fresh, healthy foods and clean water, opportunities to participate in physical fitness facilities, the availability of workplace wellness programs, and access to health care and health insurance.
“Summit County’s Building Healthy Kids Initiative has teamed up with the Prevention Institute and the Strategic Alliance to offer this survey, called the Environmental Nutritional and Activity Community Tool (ENACT) in our community,” said Iris Meltzer, administrative director of Adolescent Services at Akron Children’s Hospital and chair of the Building Healthy Kids Initiative. “The results will allow us to identify gaps and pinpoint problems that can be addressed on a community-wide scale.”
Any adult who lives or works in Summit County is invited to participate in the online survey from June 16 to July 5. They should log onto www.akronchildrens.org/ENACT.
Paper-and-pencil versions of the survey will also be available at various locations throughout the community during that three-week period.
To get a complete picture of what’s going on in the community, the project needs a variety of perspectives. So, input is needed from Summit County residents representing a wide range of ages, neighborhoods, backgrounds and experiences, including those of parents, caregivers, teachers, health care professionals, public health professionals, clergy members, and fitness professionals.
The results will be shared with the public at a town hall meeting from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 in the auditorium of the Considine Professional Building on the main campus of Akron Children’s Hospital.
“Addressing childhood obesity requires much more than individual behavior change,” said Meltzer. “Effective strategies need to take the entire community into account – where children go to school, where they live, what food is available to them and what physical activity and nutrition policies impact their lives. By asking people who live and/or work in Summit County to use the ENACT assessment, we can evaluate past and current efforts and set a course to improve the health and well-being of our children.”
Take forces have been at work
According to Meltzer, Summit County has already made gains in tackling the issue of childhood obesity. In early 2005, Akron Children’s Hospital, the Akron Health Department, the Summit County Health Department and the Barberton Health District hosted a community-wide conference that led to the development of a comprehensive plan to address the issue. Four task forces were formed to tackle the issue of childhood obesity by means of community awareness, public policy, education and programming.
That core group has expanded and now also has representatives from the University of Akron, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Summit County Educational Service Center, Akron Public Schools, Cuyahoga Falls City Schools, Twinsburg City Schools, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society,
and Summa Health System’s Department of Family Medicine.
In response to the concern that parents and children were unaware of meal portion sizes, two years ago the Building Healthy Kids Initiative created the Portion Distortion Kit, which uses common household items like a deck of cards, an egg and a golf ball to illustrate proper portion sizes. Local physicians and nutritional experts are using the kits to help parents and children envision various serving sizes.
About Akron Children’s Hospital
Akron Children’s Hospital cares for about 500,000 patients each year and performs more pediatric surgeries than any other hospital in northeast Ohio. Children's operates a 253-bed pediatric hospital in downtown Akron, housing a regional burn center for both adults and children, a pediatric trauma center, regional neonatal and pediatric intensive care units and more than 30 clinical specialties. Akron Children’s offers pediatric care at more than 40 locations throughout the region. In addition, more than 100 advocacy, education, outreach and research programs are provided to children and their families. Akron Children’s Hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission and Magnet Recognition Status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
About the Prevention Institute
Based in Oakland, Calif., the Prevention Institute is a non-profit national center dedicated to improving community health and well-being by building momentum for effective primary prevention. Primary prevention means taking action to build resilience and to prevent problems before they occur. The institute’s work is characterized by a strong commitment to community participation and promotion of equitable health outcomes among all social and economic groups. Since its founding in 1997, the organization has focused on injury and violence prevention, traffic safety, health disparities, nutrition and physical activity, and youth development.
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