Aug. 16--This fall, the seven-county Green River Regional Health Council will implement the "We Can" public education program, a short course designed for children ages 8 to 13 to stay at a healthy weight through improved food choices, increased physical activity and reducing "screen" time.
The course will show parents, grandparents and caregivers ways to get children to live healthier, according to Jody Flener, facilitator for the Ohio County Health Coalition.
"The idea is, if you can't tell your kids what to eat, how are you going to tell them to stay off drugs and keep them away from alcohol?" Flener said.
The program encourages more family activity time rather than screen time, which includes TV, video games, movies, texting and so on.
"It gives them information about nutrition and how to help kids, like don't let them take a bag (of chips), but put the serving size in a small bowl," Flener said. "And have a family suggestion box for dinners. Let kids have a say in what to eat, but not junk food."
County facilitators are reaching out to the school systems, parent-teacher organizations and churches to get parents signed up for the free course.
"Change is hard," Flener said. "I had a camp this summer and told the kids we were going to have sandwiches with wheat bread. They said, 'I hate wheat bread,' but I worked with Subway and they put wheat bread on the bottom of the sandwich and white bread on the top, and not one child noticed.
"When I told them, they thought I'd poisoned them, but they found out they liked wheat bread."
Flener said it was alarming to see an organization have to promote a workshop geared to teach children to play outside.
"That's sad," she said.
Beth Cecil, wellness dietitian with the Owensboro Medical Health System's HealthPark, said the lack of physical activity is one reason calories add up.
"We don't move as much as we used to," she said. "We're so dependent on technology. We turn the TV channel with the remote and don't get up. Instead of walking down the hall to talk to someone, we e-mail them.
"And (restaurant) portions and plates are getting bigger. It's not any one factor, it's a combination of things."
Cecil suggested taking small steps first, such as cutting down on sweet tea or soft drinks with sugar, or eating meals on smaller plates so the portions are smaller.
"If you eat more fruits and vegetables, maybe you'll eat less of something else," she said.
The following are tips for eating healthier and getting exercise:
--Food portion no larger than your fist.
--Make a low-fat, high-fiber breakfast to delay hunger pangs.
--Do yardwork, wash your car by hand, walk, ride a bike or lift dumbells.
Rich Suwanski, 691-7315, rsuwanski@messenger-inquirer.com
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