海角社区

Fighting Childhood Obesity

Greaux Healthy is a comprehensive, new program supported by the State of Louisiana that translates 35 years of Pennington Biomedical research into practical tools to prevent and treat childhood obesity. Designed to reach children in the environments they know best鈥攂oth at school and at home鈥擥reaux Healthy delivers a broad range of resources to teachers, parents, physicians, and others. So far, 21 elementary schools and 11 early childhood education centers across the state have implemented the program.

鈥淕reaux Healthy is focused on the nutrition as well as the active part, which is what I like,鈥� said Anderson Briggs, a physical education teacher at Glen Oaks Park Elementary in East Baton Rouge Parish. 鈥淎 lot of my kids watch wrestling and football, so I ask them: 鈥楬ow can you become this type of athlete?鈥� 鈥楬ow do football players become strong?鈥� And now they say: 鈥楾hey eat a lot of protein,鈥� 鈥楾hey eat their vegetables.鈥� They鈥檙e making the connection of how eating healthy can lead to a type of lifestyle and career. They鈥檙e making the connection of how they can get there themselves.鈥�

Louisiana ranks third in the nation for childhood obesity. As a result, the youngest generation of Louisianans is the first鈥攅ver鈥攖o have a lower life expectancy than their parents.

鈥淓verything we recommend, there is science behind it,鈥� said Melissa Martin, director of Greaux Healthy and a registered dietitian. 鈥淕reaux Healthy is about identifying as much opportunity as we can in our research and giving it all back to our state and communities. It鈥檚 about translating what works to the people who need it most.鈥�

鈥淚've seen overweight children. I鈥檝e seen kids with heart problems. We have kids that are severely diabetic. The Greaux Healthy program enhances what we鈥檙e trying to do to get the kids more healthy and more aware of their health.鈥�

Carmonesia Hill, physical education teacher at Progress Elementary School in Scotlandville