Fighting Childhood Obesity Requires Community Approach
Contact: Nellie Cyr at (207) 581-2461
ORONO, Maine – The biggest public health threat in the state of Maine, obesity, is putting more and more of the state’s children at risk. Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and a variety of other serious health problems are on the rise in children, and public health organizations are focusing their efforts on educating kids about healthy lifestyle choices. But are these programs working?
UMaine kinesiology and physical education professor Nellie Cyr’s research is helping to answer that question. In a research project that compared sixth and tenth graders in two greater Bangor area school districts, Cyr found that state-funded health education initiatives increase student understanding of health concepts, but that parent and community involvement may be necessary to affect measurable change toward healthier lifestyles.
“We looked at two similar schools, one with a state-funded health education position and one without. We administered surveys regarding healthy lifestyle choices – eating habits, food choices exercise – and measured each student’s Body Mass Index over a four-year time period. We found that in the district with the funded position, the students were significantly more knowledgeable about their health, but there was no change in their BMI.”
Cyr sees the discrepancy as evidence of schools’ and educational programs’ ability to effect the knowledge base and limits with respect to affecting real behavioral change.
“For the vast majority of students, parents and other adults are the deciders: they decide what is purchased at the grocery store, what restaurants to frequent and ultimately what goes on the plate,” said Cyr. “It’s clear that we need to incorporate parents and community groups into educational programs with respect to this public health issue. Childhood obesity is a very serious problem for the children of Maine, and we need to work together to solve it.”