 As First 5 LA moves forward in implementing our FY 2009-2015 Strategic Plan, we remain focused on the four goals we hope to accomplish throughout Los Angeles County: children are born healthy, children maintain a healthy weight, they are safe from abuse and neglect and ready for kindergarten. This series is dedicated to highlighting each of these goal areas and a few of the strategies we hope to enact to achieve them.
_______________________________Los Angeles County is not exempt in the growing childhood obesity epidemic. According to kidsdata.org almost 35 percent of the county's children are overweight, obese or underweight, although not many fit this last category. During First 5 LA's Best Start community selection process we found that in the 14 Best Start communities, approximately 30 percent of very young children, starting as early as age 2, are considered overweight or obese. That's almost one in every three kids.
Children who are overweight are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and orthopedic problems, and are more likely to become obese adults. Childhood overweight has been linked to the premature onset of puberty and can negatively affect children's social and psychological development. Also, some reports say that for the first time in history, many parents will have longer life expectancies than their children.
In our Best Start communities as well as through countywide efforts, First 5 LA aims to help children maintain a healthy weight by: - Working to make sure that children and families have knowledge about the importance of good nutrition and have access to affordable, healthy food -- like fresh fruits and vegetables, more farmer's markets, and organic food that is affordable.
- Working to make sure that children and families have access to parks and other green spaces in their neighborhoods where they feel safe playing, picnicking and visiting on a regular basis.
- Collaborating with partners that support classes for parents and children within communities that promote physical activity and healthy eating.
- Promoting breastfeeding, which potentially lowers the risk of obesity, by ensuring that mothers can obtain information and assistance in their home and in their communities.
To learn more about this goal area, please contact Tara Ficek at (213) 482-5902. ‹‹Back to this week's Monday Morning Report |
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