After School Programs Help Prevent Childhood Obesity | Extended Notes

Childhood Obesity Remains a Problem

Although childhood obesity rates have declined slightly over the past few years, about 1 in 3 American kids and teens is overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association. But, here’s the good news: After school programs are effective in preventing childhood obesity.

The After school Alliance recently released the 2015 America After 3PM special report, Kids on the Move: Afterschool Programs Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, focusing on the role after school programs play in supporting the health and wellness of their students. The report also includes survey results that demonstrate parents’ expectations of programs to keep their child healthy and active, how satisfied parents are with the food and physical activity provided in their child’s program and existing opportunities to improve programs’ nutritional and physical activity offerings.

Here are three key findings from the report:

• Parents want after school programs to provide healthy foods to children and keep their children physically active.
• Parents are overwhelmingly satisfied with the healthy foods that their child is served and the physical activity offered at their child’s program.
• Providing healthy food and offering opportunities for physical activity in an after school program is especially important to low income families.

Check out 5 Tips for Healthy Eating in Afterschool for ways to promote healthy eating habits. For 20+ activity ideas to get students moving, visit our Pinterest board!