Preschool Program Prevents Early Obesity Trend

“Investigators say an obesity prevention program that helps preschoolers get on the road to healthy eating has shown impressive results in early testing in eight subsidized inner-city childcare centers in Miami Dade County, Florida. Two- to five-year-olds who participated in the program adopted a healthier diet than those that did not. They ate less junk food, more fresh fruits and vegetables and drank less juice and more low-fat milk and water. And almost all of the ‘intervention’ children who started out at a normal weight stayed at a normal weight while those who were at risk for obesity lost a little weight. The results were presented earlier this month at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism. ‘Nobody would dispute that we are experiencing an epidemic of obesity in this country,’ Dr. Ruby Natale at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, who was involved in the research, said in a statement. ‘Children as young as 7 years old are experiencing health consequences of being overweight, suggesting that intervention must occur as early as possible and involve the entire family.’”