News Articles Santa Cruz County seeking turnaround on childhood obesity
Santa Cruz County seeking turnaround on childhood obesity
San Jose Mercury News
November 9, 2011
By Jondi Gumz (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Santa Cruz County is among the 31 counties in California that have yet to turn the tide on childhood obesity, according to a UCLA report released Wednesday.
Statewide, however, progress is being made, with a 1 percent decline in overweight children in grades 5, 7, and 9 between 2005 and 2010.
Researchers with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy made those findings after studying body mass index data of public school students taking state-mandated fitness tests.
In Santa Cruz County, the percentage of overweight or obese children in grades 5, 7, and 9 grew from 36.9 percent to 37.9 percent but declined in neighboring San Benito County from 44.8 percent to 42.2 percent.
"I think the thing that will help reverse the obesity trend in our county is continued partnership within the entire community," said Deborah Tracy-Proulx, a parent on the Santa Cruz City Schools board. "Schools, city, businesses, families all need to work together."
Dora Solinas, who teaches Zumba Latin fitness classes, noted several challenges: Ability to buy and make healthy food and pay or make time for sports activities, high fat and sugar content of traditional Mexican foods, and safety factors that may discourage children from participating in physical fitness outside their home or neighborhood.
"I suggest a family program within their own neighborhood with both parent and teen involvement in cooking, and physical activities," Solinas said.
FOCUSED EFFORT
In Santa Cruz County, 150 agencies took aim at the problem in 2004 as the Go for Health! collaborative. The United Way received a four-year grant in 2010 for $360,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support those efforts in Pajaro Valley, where the childhood obesity rate is higher than the rest of the county.
Leaders will convene a summit Nov. 16 at the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County in Aptos to review what's been done and map out future plans.
"This is such a huge epidemic," said county public health chief Bob Kennedy. "We can't wait until the golden egg is handed to us. Especially with dwindling resources, we need to make sure we are all on the same page." Kennedy sees progress that may not be reflected in the countywide average.
For example, a yearlong survey of fitness activities in Watsonville in 2008-09 turned up more than 315 physical fitness activities run by 92 organizations.
"That was an eye-opener," Kennedy said, noting the groups are trying to get word out about those activities.
More than 3,000 students at 18 Pajaro Valley schools participate in Fitness 4 Life, an afterschool program that won recognition by the governor's council on physical fitness.
Another effort started two years ago focuses on Starlight Elementary School and Cesar Chavez Middle School. It mirrors the successful Harlem Children's Zone model, involving nutrition, afterschool activities, counseling, and use of community experts known as promontores to share information with parents.
Kennedy hopes to report on the results by the end of the year. He said Starlight Principal Mark Donnelly is getting 75 to 100 families to attend twice-a-month evening programs with cooking instructions by a bilingual chef thanks to Second Harvest Food Bank, which provides a free bag of produce.
"I don't get frustrated because I get enthused by the energy that goes into this," Kennedy said.
Leslie Goodfriend of the county health services agency cited efforts to promote breastfeeding of babies, which has been shown to lower obesity rates, and schools serving fewer fried and salty foods to students.
HEALTHY MENU PICKS
The Watsonville City Council approved an ordinance a year ago requiring new restaurants to offer healthy options, but with the lagging economy, no new eateries have opened.
The council honored Dennis Miller in September for offering healthy menu options at Miller's Sandwich & Ice Cream Shop, located near Watsonville High School. Miller's daughter Michelle said those items include a veggie wrap for $5 and a chicken salad and lime tostado for $2.25.
Megan Joseph of the United Way noted Burger King and Round Table Pizza applied for United Way's Golden Carrot Award, but they didn't have enough healthy menu items to qualify.
The Jovenes Sanos youth organization is working to get more corner stores to carry fresh fruit, and another initiative under discussion involves healthy items in vending machines in city buildings.
Joseph hopes to start a pilot project at the youth center downtown with Piece of Mind Vending, a Santa Cruz company that stocks machines with Luna bars, Late July organic snacks and Santa Cruz Organics beverages.
Tracy-Proulx listed two successful initiatives in Santa Cruz schools.
The Food What?! program hosts events for students to learn about healthy food choices and runs a low-cost food stand at Gault Elementary during the harvest season. Ecology Action supported the Boltage program, which uses prizes to motivate students to bike and walk to school. The program is entering its second year at Gault and has been launched at Delaveaga Elementary.
Santa Cruz personal trainer Jaimi Ellison recalls eating Taco Bell growing up when her parents were busy. Now she sees parents bringing their children to her studio to get fit.
"My youngest client is 8," she said, noting a 13-year-old who is now doing lacrosse, skateboarding and riding his bike more. "You have to make it fun to be active."