Emphasis on healthy nutrition

Editor's note: This is part two of a two-part series about childhood obesity in the Yuba-Sutter area.

Exercise, nutrition, TV time, computer games, fast food and sugary drinks all play their part in the rising tide of childhood obesity. And together, they add up to some frightening statistics.

Among preschool age children, 2 to 5 years of age, obesity more than doubled, jumping from 5 to 10.4 percent between 1976-1980. In 2007-2008, it grew from 6.5 to 19.6 percent among 6- to 11-year-olds. For adolescents age 12 to 19, obesity increased from 5 to 18.1 percent during the same period, according to a survey done for the Centers for Disease Control.

But figuring out who should attack the issue of childhood obesity is no easy task.

Many Americans say the government should play a significant role in reducing obesity among children. But there is strong opposition to government involvement in this effort among conservative Republicans and tea party supporters, according to a Pew Research Center study.

"I think anyone who ignores this issue has his head in the sand," said Yuba County Supervisor Mary Jane Griego. "But it takes true leadership to say, 'OK, we're going to do something about it.' When these young people get to be adults, we're going to be taking care of them. So we should put some money in at the front end and prevent something from happening in the future."

Another Yuba County supervisor, Andy Vasquez, doesn't see the issue in quite the same terms. "I'm not saying there's not an obesity problem in the schools; it's just not as bad as some people say." He said what he doesn't want is an "obesity police" overseeing the problem.

In Sutter County, Supervisor Jim Whiteaker disagrees. "It's definitely a problem, and it's escalating. Government should promote healthy lifestyles by providing parks and other recreation facilities — this is where government can be involved."

Griego and fellow supervisor Hal Stocker are leading the Yuba County effort. Together they formed the Yuba County Health Committee, which has been working for the last two years to decide the county's direction.

The committee, made up of officials from schools, health and government as well as community members, determined that its first goal was to write a health and wellness resolution to outline the county's vision.

The resolution will be presented to the board in the near future. "We're hoping to get unanimous support on it," Griego said.

Even while work on the resolution is under way, the county hasn't been idle, Griego said. "One place where the county has really stepped up is with the recreation program." She said that one issue she keeps hearing from parents is the lack of affordable things for children to do. To address that, the county partnered with First 5 Yuba Commission to develop and operate a county recreation program.

Sutter County has also formed a committee to spearhead its anti-obesity efforts.

"In light of our local situation, the parks and recreation department and the health department submitted an application to the Centers for Disease Control to become an 'Achieve Community,'" explained Michele E. Blake, Sutter County Health Education and Promotion-Public Health information officer. "It was approved, and we received $40,000, so we can look at our community in a deep measure. What we're doing first is to form an action team which includes Sutter Medical, Yuba City, Sutter County, members from the private sector and businesses."

Blake said that over the next two or three years, the team will see what the county's needs are, where the gaps are and then decide what needs to be done.

She said she sees some possible outcomes, including the parks department making sure all the parks have walking paths around them; the police department making the streets a little safer, so people will be able to walk a little more; and improving walkablity around the county's schools.

But it's not just counties addressing the childhood obesity problem.

In 2008, Sutter Medical Foundation's Community Advisory Board and the Sutter North Medical Group Board "made the decision to focus on one community health disparity that, as a nonprofit health care provider, we commit to and focus our resources on making a difference," explained Tiffany Geyer, Sutter Medical Foundation community relations coordinator. "We chose childhood obesity because of the long-term effects to community health, but it also matched our capabilities and expertise as health care providers."

What Sutter Medical Foundation has done is to purchase a program called KidShape: a nine-week program designed to help overweight children and their families become healthier.

According to its website, KidShape has a scientifically proven track record of helping kids to lose weight and keep it off. In the last 20 years, it says it has helped more than 12,000 children and teens; that 87 percent of them have lost weight; and 80 percent of those who lost weight kept if off for at least two years.

"I think the reasons this program is successful are that it has a physical education aspect, registered dietitian aspect and a mental health aspect," Geyer said.

Families need to be referred by a health professional to participate.

Anjelica Reyes, 14, had a basic idea what the program would do for her. "I thought it would be people telling us what to eat, and basically just telling us what's better and how to avoid unhealthy foods. I also thought they'd tell us about exercising."

But it is more than just lectures.

"Part of the magic of KidShape is that it gets the kids to try new foods they never would have otherwise wanted to try," said KidShape dietitian Nicole Geurin. "Many of the families make the recipes again at home. Each week, I also lead a family nutrition session, where the whole family gets to learn about a nutrition topic."

Anjelica's sister, Gabby Reyes, 15, said she's seen positive changes to her lifestyle. "It's been good. Instead of watching TV, I'm doing other things, like going outside and exercising. I'm making better choices, like instead of eating a cookie, I get a banana or an apple."

Their mom, Judy Garcia, said it hasn't only been good for the girls, it has been good for the family. "I've changed my eating habits to keep up with my girls — they make sure I do."

Parent involvement is vital if the child is to change his or her eating and life choices. Ben LiaBraaten, KidShape physical activities instructor, thinks that's exactly what's happening. He explained that because the parents are supposed to track and record their child's eating and exercise, there has to be a lot of involvement and commitment by the adults.

Schools also have an important part of the anti-obesity pie with their breakfast and lunch programs.

In order for schools to receive Department of Agriculture reimbursements, they must follow government nutrition guidelines. "This means we have to have the right amount of sodium, and so on and so forth in our menus," said Mary Driscoll, Marysville Joint Unified School District's director of nutritional services.

She said these guidelines for minimum and maximum levels cover sodium, trans fats, calories, cholesterol, iron, calcium, fiber and other vitamins and minerals.

Schools have been taking steps to improve their breakfast and lunch menus by serving more fresh fruits and vegetables along with more whole grains, but a new federal law, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, is forcing them to take further steps.

The new rules include updating the schools' nutrition guidelines, especially those that cover sodium, trans fat and calories levels, Driscoll said.

CONTACT John Hollis at 749-6552.