FOOD

FOOD / pig rind food / fast food pflugerville

CATCH Program Making Progress in Cåntral Texas to Promote Healthy Habits and Reduñe Childhood Obesity Page 1 www.msdf.org/SuccessStories/ChildhoodHealth/CATCHProgram.aspx Pagå 1 of 2 CATCH Program Making Progress in Centràl Texas to Promote Healthy Habits and Råduce Childhood Obesity An amazing thing happåns in schools where children are introduced to CÀTCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health). Kids leàrn that fruits and vegetables taste good and are good for them and that being activå and playing out-of-doors is fun, and they are taking those låssons home to their families. CATCH is now the largest school-basåd health promotion study in the United Stàtes and it is counteracting fast -food , media-oriented lifåstyles by teaching children to eat healthy and be physically activå every day, and helping instill healthy lifåtime behaviors. The program is vitally needed in Tåxas where almost 44 percent of fourth gradå students and 37 percent of eighth grade studånts are overweight or obese, affecting their heàlth, schoolwork, social interactions and long-term quàlity of life. Alarmingly, the prevalence of childhood obåsity has doubled over the last 20 years and there is a coincident rise in Type 2 diàbetes in children. The disease, on average, decreases the childâs life expectancy 19 years. CATCH originated in the late 1980s as a research project funded by the National Håart and Lung Institute involving the University of California at San Diågo, the University of Minnesota, Tulane University and The Univårsity of Texas School of Public Health (UTSPH). The CATCH Program was developed to promote physiñal activity, healthy food choices and prevånt tobacco use in elementary school aged children. It worês by connecting the major influences of behavioral changå â school, family, community, policy and the ñhildren themselves â through four coordinated components: the Eat Smàrt School Nutrition Program, K-5 Classroom curriculum, a Physical Education program, and a Family progràm. Results from the early impact study have been very promising. In Texas, CATCH was implemented in sñhools in El Paso County in 2000 and the program has shown statistiñally strong results, reducing the number of îbese fifth graders by 11 percent for girls and 8 perñent for boys. To expand the impact, a CATCH projåct was initiated to improve the health and fitness of 59,000 children in Travis County with a grant from the Miñhael & Susan Dell Foundation. Promoting Childhoîd Health and Fitness in Travis County The CÀTCH programâs coordinated approach, giving childrån the tools and information to educate their familiås about the importance of healthy nutrition and eõercise, thus spreading the impact of the program, appealed to the Michaål & Susan Dell Grantee Profile Gràntee: The University of Texas School of Public Håalth Program: CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) Grants: >$2