Watch "Surviving Abundance: Overweight Kids in Crisis"

Healthy Habits for Hampton Roads is an initiative of the WHRO Center for Regional Citizenship which focuses on healthier lifestyles for Hampton Roads' citizens, particularly for children. The issue of childhood overweight and obesity is an important part of our work, but the overall initiative goals are to increase awareness of this important community issue and empower citizens to work toward solutions individually and collectively.

Childhood obesity is a dangerous medical condition that affects thousands of children in the Hampton Roads region. Being overweight as a child brings on adult problems, such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. Research suggests that children are as risk of developing a lifetime of overweight and obesity as early as age two and it is predicted that children today are the first generation that will have a life expectancy shorter than that of their parents.

We did not get this way overnight and it will take a concerted, multi-level approach to turn the tide. We all have to work together to make healthy choices easier choices.

Schools are one place where we can encourage more healthy lifestyles and there is a growing body of research that shows that school-based physical activity increases academic performance. This year, through a generous grant from the OBICI Healthcare Foundation, the Center was able to bring action-based lesson plans to elementary schools in Western Tidewater. The SOL based lesson plans were developed by the Williamsburg/James City County School Health Initiative Program (SHIP) to add to students’ opportunities for kinesthetic learning. SHIP shared their lesson plans and provided in-service training for the Western Tidewater schools. They have also made the plans available online (http://www.whro.org/cfc/K-5_lessonplans.asp).

Helping children establish healthy habits early in life and encourage them to sustain those habits as they mature needs to be a priority for parents, educators and the community at large.

Go here to learn more about the SHIP Program.
http://www.wjcc.k12.va.us/ship/

For more information, please contact Kelly Jackson,
Director of the WHRO Center for Regional Citizenship
757.889.9415 or kelly.jackson@whro.org

The Center for Regional Citizenship extends the impact of public broadcasting with a goal to build civic, social and educational capital in Hampton Roads. For more information on the CRC, please visit the website at http://whro.org/cfc.