Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities!

Healthy  Kids, Healthy Communities is a new national program which aims to implement healthy eating and active living initiatives for children, families, and communities across the United States and the United Stated Virgin Islands.

Women With Focus Inc. places special emphasis on reaching children who are at high risk for obesity on the basis of the child’s age/race/ethnicity and income.

 We seek to catalyze and support families’ efforts to address the root causes of childhood obesity through integrated changes in education of obesity, safe food choices, eating patterns/habits, lack of physical activity and much more.

OBESITY AND VIRGIN ISLANDERS: An alarming number of Virgin Islanders are overweight or obese and are unaware of their condition.  Poor diet, obesity and sedentary lifestyle are major risk factors for a variety of ailments that rank as top killers in the territory.  These killers include heart disease, stroke and some cancers, along with diabetes and high blood pressure.

 Although experts recommend the need to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, only 28 percent of those participating in the survey were doing so.

 Reference: Blackburn, 2003

“At the root of the chronic diseases is the need for good nutrition and physical activity.”

YOUNG AND OBESE IN THE VI: There is an increase of overweight and obese children in the Virgin Islands that may indicate that childhood type 2 diabetes will become a significant health problem in the USVI, as it is on the mainland Unites States.

FACTORS:

*  Lifestyle factors such as too much fast food and lack of physical activity

* Heredity

* A  slow metabolism

* Mental attitude

* Poor nutrition

Careful monitoring by parents of their children’s eating habits and physical activity levels will be an important aspect of the effort in preventing or reducing childhood obesity in our community.

 CULTURAL VIEWS: Cultural food patterns are passed from one generation to another.  Culture is learned; therefore, can be relearned when it comes to healthy lifestyle habits.  Children who comes from obese families, will be program to become like their relatives, and may be fooled to believing that being big is healthy.

Reasons for Child Obesity:

· Heredity

· Slow Metabolism

· Lack of Activities

· Mental Attitude

· Poor Eating Habits

Side Effects to Obesity:

· Diabetes type 1 & 2

· Low self-esteem

· Medical conditions, such as asthma, tiredness, and high blood  pressure

Preventions:

· Drink more water

· Exercise, stay active

· Eat smaller portions

· Have several snacks throughout the day

Plan in place: The St Croix Athletic Club now offers program for children ages 8 to 14 where students can learn different type of sports weekly while having fun as well as outreach activities.

To learn more on this program view outreach events.