University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

By Cathleen Rineer-Garber

New Mexico’s children are joining the ranks of children around the world who are dangerously overweight. In 2004, the Governor’s Office estimated that 17 percent of elementary students, 52 percent of middle school students, and 43 percent of high school students were overweight or obese. In a country and state where the majority of adults—more than 60 percent—are overweight, it’s not surprising that our children are following suit.

Although experts attribute a variety of complex reasons for these staggering statistics, the simple explanation is that today’s children (as well as adults) spend too much time in front of a screen (TV, computer or video game), spend too little time doing physical activity, and practice poor eating habits.

This lifestyle makes for unhealthy children, but even worse is the fact that overweight children have a much greater chance of becoming overweight adults—and overweight adults have a much greater risk of developing serious health problems including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and arthritis.

Most health experts agree that the key to reversing the obesity trend is to engage children at an early age in developing healthy habits and providing a social and physical environment that supports these behaviors.

“Nutrition and physical activity during childhood are important, not only for growth and development, but because health behaviors established early in childhood track into adulthood and can affect long-term health and disease risk,” says Sally Davis, PhD, professor and chief of the UNM Department of Pediatrics’ division of health promotion and disease prevention and director of the UNM Prevention Research Center.

Davis and her colleagues at the UNM Prevention Research Center are hoping to evaluate the effectiveness of early intervention through the Child Health Initiative for Lifelong Eating and Exercise (CHILE), a five-year study focused on more than 600 preschool age children in New Mexico. The program, launched March 1, is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

According to Davis, the purpose of the study is to design, implement and evaluate a culturally appropriate intervention program for children attending 16 Head Start programs around the state. The proposed locations include Jemez, Laguna, Estancia, Jarales, Espanola, Santa Rosa, Acoma, Espanola, Santa Domingo, Pecos, Mora, Chimayo, Hatch, Taos, Las Vegas and Bernalillo.

Although children from all ethnic groups are affected by the obesity trends, CHILE will focus on rural American Indian and Hispanic children. "These communities and populations are disproportionately affected by obesity and related chronic diseases and conditions, ” says Davis. “These rural communities are underrepresented in health promotion studies, and few interventions are specifically designed to benefit these populations."

The study will promote increased physical activity; increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; decreased consumption of sweetened beverages and high-fat foods; and decreased screen time. This will be accomplished through six different components including classroom curriculum and training for Head Start teachers, aides, food service staff and families. Davis says that interventions that address not only individual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior but also the social and physical environment have the potential for greater impact.

Children participating in the study will be followed for two years. Measures taken at the beginning, at mid-point and at the end of the project will include height, weight, body mass index, dietary assessment, and levels of physical activity to assess the success of the intervention.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work in rural Head Start programs where we can reach a large number of three-to-five-year-old children, their teachers and their families,” says Davis. “If the intervention is successful it has the potential to influence the lives of New Mexicans and Head Start policy nationwide."

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