THE OFFICIAL DELAWARE DYNASTY WEB SITE

5-2-1-ALMOST NONE HEALTH PROGRAM
www.Nemours.org

WILMINGTON, DE -- More American children are overweight than ever before. The problem is pervasive, affecting children in all regions; in urban, suburban and rural communities; both boys and girls; among all ethnic groups; rich and poor alike. Nationally, about 30% of children and youth between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight or at risk for overweight. In Delaware, of nearly 24,000 children seen in Nemours primary care pediatric practices, approximately 35% were overweight or at risk for overweight in 2002. What is contributing to this dramatic increase in overweight among our youth? The best available evidence points to four primary causes:

Too many high-calorie meals and snacks:
The availability and consumption of high-calorie convenience foods, particularly fast food, is at an all-time high. This is occurring while most kids are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are important for growth, development, preventing diseases such as cancer and promoting healthy weight. Eighty percent of Delaware high school students reported eating fewer than five fruits and vegetables per day.

Too much "screen time" - television, videos and computer: The average Delaware adolescent engages in about 4 hours of "screen" time daily, which includes watching 3 hours of television. A number of studies have shown a relationship between television and overweight. Not only are screen activities sedentary, taking time away from physical activity, but children tend to snack more while sitting in front of a screen. Compounding the problem, TV exposes children to an overwhelming amount of advertising, particularly for foods which are high in calories and low in nutrients.

Too little physical activity: Regular physical activity is important for maintaining good health, fitness, and a healthy weight. Studies have shown that physical activity declines sharply in adolescence. About 60% of Delaware high school students report not attending physical education classes during the school week. While experts recommend at least an hour of daily physical activity, Delaware youth reported being physically active for about 20 minutes a day.

Too many sugar-sweetened beverages: Between 1965 and 1995, studies show, soft drink consumption tripled for boys and doubled for girls. At 150 calories, one 12-ounce can of soda per day can add up to an extra 15 pounds per year. Children often consume soda, sports drinks, and fruit drinks (which have little or no nutritional value) at the expense of better choices, like low-fat milk, water, and fruit juice.

Our Message: 5 - 2 - 1 - Almost None! Based on sound medical research and expert advice, Nemours Health and Prevention Services is spreading the "5 - 2 - 1 - Almost None!" message to promote healthy eating and physical activity in all of its programs:

Five: Servings of fruits and vegetables per day
Two: Hours or less of screen time per day
One: Hour or more of physical activity per day
Almost None: Sugar-sweetened drinks - soda, sports drinks, fruit drinks

Our Approach: Reaching Out to Help Children Grow Up Healthy Nemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS) has selected childhood nutrition and physical activity as its initial areas of focus around which to build an ambitious set of program initiatives. NHPS is seeking out best practices in these areas and, where they do not exist, working to develop programs that can be put into practice in Delaware. Using a holistic approach to the child's world in order to have the greatest impact, NHPS considers the many different places where children and families spend their time: home, school, child care, neighborhood and community, health care and faith-based settings. The goal is to help children make healthy food and lifestyle choices and stay active by reinforcing consistent, positive messages in each setting.

Nemours plans to identify unmet community needs, identify and build on community strengths to address those needs, and assist community organizations in innovative ways. In addition, a key goal of the division is to serve as a resource to the Delaware community by providing business support services and technical assistance to select not-for-profit health community organizations that serve children, ultimately increasing our collective capacity to improve children's health.

Our Philosophy NHPS seeks a cultural change in which people place a high value on health, wellness and disease prevention, where:
- Children can choose fruit instead of fries in the school cafeteria;
- Insurers pay for health promotion and prevention as well as for treatment services;
- Children and their families choose physical activities more often and spend less time in front of a screen;
- Child care providers offer nutritious snacks and physical activity every day;
- Primary care providers have the time and support they need to counsel families about healthy lifestyles and effective parenting;
- Children's mental health and physical health are viewed as equally important.

By valuing and investing in health and wellness today, it's within our grasp to prevent disease for our children and future generations.

NHPS Programs NHPS is developing projects to prevent childhood overweight by spreading the healthy eating and physical activity message in four sectors: primary care physicians' offices, child care centers, schools, and communities. Activities will be phased in over time, depending on community needs.
-The Childcare Program is a multi-faceted strategy for working with child care centers and home child care providers that includes provider training and toolkits, as well as a curriculum focused on healthy eating and physical activity.
-The Primary Care Program The Primary Care Program provides tools to primary care clinicians to help them more effectively assess and counsel families about childhood overweight and to link them to community nutritional and physical activity resources.
-The School Program includes building on current school action teams to improve the school health environment by including ways to increase physical activity and healthier eating.
-The Community Program will help build long-term, sustainable health promotion capacity in the Delaware community. Specific activities include Community Health Action Teams to help mobilize community members as they plan and implement activities to promote physical activity and healthy eating in their neighborhoods.

In Sussex County, we are helping partner agencies implement projects in all four of these program areas to achieve a greater impact on improving children's health. NHPS will support community activity through the Sussex County Child Health Promotion Collaborative, which provides information, training, technical assistance, and ongoing support to participating non-profit organizations to develop health promotion programs. Rev.10-12-05

Nemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS) works with families and communities to help children grow up healthy, both physically and emotionally. The goal is to develop programs and contribute knowledge that will build the capacity for child health promotion in Delaware and eventually have value for children nationally.