University of Michigan receives $4.9 million grant to develop obesity prevention program for preschool-age children
Children feel stress just like adults, and like them, reach for food to feel better, as early the preschool years.
The University of Michigan has received a $4.9 million grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture it will use to try to figure out how to snuff out those behaviors before the pattern takes hold.
Julie C. Lumeng, a behavioral pediatrician at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, said the five-year award will be used to research and develop childhood obesity prevention programs for Head Start preschoolers.
In America, obesity starts young and disproportionately affects poor children, she said research has shown. One in five 4-year-olds is obese, and children from low-income families are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be overweight than children from middle- or upper-income families.
Head Start is a federally funded preschool program that focuses on school readiness for low-income children ages 3 to 6.
Lumeng will lead a research team that includes faculty from the U-M School of Public Health, the U-M Center for Human Growth and Development, and Michigan State University.
They’ll work with 600 Head Start preschool children to study what nutrition intervention works best. Two hundred will receive standard nutrition education already established in Head Start.
The next group of 200 students will be enrolled in a preschool obesity prevention series, which focuses on obesity-related health behaviors.
The third group of 200 children will receive the same traiing along with a program designed to improve childrens’ ability to calm themselves.
Can a 4-year-old stop himself from throwing a tantrum over a cookie?
Yes, experts say. The hope, researchers said, is that children and their parents will develop coping skills in the face of stress, instead of reaching for that cookie or the bag of potato chips.
“Kids will always have tantrums. They’ll always bop their neighbor, take a toy,” U-M developmental psychologist Alison Miller said. “But because everyone in the classroom will be well versed in prevention language, they’ll be able to reflect on the instances.”
Simple things, like recognizing an angry emotion and then counting to 10, go a long way with young children, Miller said.
If the research shows positive results - measured by weight and other standards, a resulting obesity prevention program could be rolled out statewide.
Participating Michigan Head Start programs will include Jackson Community Action Agency, Michigan Family Resources, Walker, Mich.; and EightCAP, in Greenville, Mich., north of Grand Rapids.
Juliana Keeping is a health and environment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
treetowncartel
Wed, Mar 16, 2011 : 11:57 a.m.
That money would be better spent on establishing fresh produce markets in areas where people of a lower socio-econmomic status tend to reside.
REBBAPRAGADA
Tue, Mar 15, 2011 : 6:06 p.m.
We should first use the tools given by Culture and use them for successful living. Christian tradition as revealed in the Book of John, Chapter 6, verse35 reads:" I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me will never thirst." I would first try and teach this simple concept to our children. The food and water we eat and drink is the divine provision sent by God the Creator. Such understanding would stop food cravings, prevents greedy and excessive eating, satisfies hunger, provides satiation and gives true enjoyment of meal and drink. Do not waste money before using the knowledge that we already have.
Rusnak
Tue, Mar 15, 2011 : 2:43 p.m.
Seriously? " In America, obesity starts young and disproportionately affects poor children, she said research has shown. One in five 4-year-olds is obese, and children from low-income families are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be overweight than children from middle- or upper-income families. " Here's an idea, limit what you purchase with your WIC card or, EBT. No pop, twinkies, and Dorito's. No processed frozen dinner. Only good for vegetables, fruit, whole grains, white meat chicken, etc.... What's the flippin' mystery here? Can I have the 4.9 million?
AmyLynn
Tue, Mar 15, 2011 : 1:36 p.m.
A European filmmaker has been reversing weight problems in NON diabetics with a Diabetes diet. It has been giving people who have a hard time losing weight a normal body weight fast It is now used in 10 countries. ALL weight issues are caused by Food chemicals and he shows how to reverse it if you are Diabetic or not just google SPIRIT HAPPY DIET
jcj
Tue, Mar 15, 2011 : 4:01 a.m.
How fitting that a school with so much fat in their budget should get a grant to study obesity! Maybe they can use their finding to trim their own fat!
Kafkaland
Mon, Mar 14, 2011 : 9:43 p.m.
What? The federal government spending our money to learn how to tell us and our childern what to eat, or not to eat? Tea partiers, where are you when we need you? *Please note the sarcasm dripping from this post.*
Rusnak
Tue, Mar 15, 2011 : 2:46 p.m.
Since your kids fat and you want gov't health care I think I should have a say.