Bright Bodies

Weight Management for Children

Bright Bodies• Weight management for children,

ages 7 – 16.• Bright Bodies helps children make

better health choices through nutrition education, behavior modification, and exercise.

• Participants will meet three times per week: once for an educational session and twice for exercise.

Overweight and Obese Children in Central New York

Onondaga Albany Monroe Erie25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

Students in New York State

Weight Category (2008 - 2010)

UnderweightHealthyOverweightObese

Weight Distribution by Grade Level

2%

72%

13%

13%

K & Pre-K

2%

67%

14%

17%

3rd

2%

64%16%

18%

9th

Un-der-weightHealthy

Overweight

Obese

The percentage of students within a weight status category reflects data reported to the Student Weight Status Category Reporting System during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years. For the reasons listed below, these data should not be considered to represent all school aged-children in New York State (exclusive of New York City).

Logical Approach

PROBLEM OR ISSUE RESOURCES ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS SHORT- TERM OUTCOMES LONG-TERM OUTCOMES IMPACTThe Community Need In order to accomplish In order to address our We expect that once We expect that if accomplished We expect that if accomplished We expect that if accomplishedThis is the problem we our set of activities we problem or asset we will accomplished these these activities these activities these activitiesare trying to solve will need the following: accomplish the following activities will produce will lead to the following will lead to the following will lead to the following activities: the following evidence changes in 1–3 changes in 4–6 changes in 7–10 years:In our community there is too much childhood obesity.The rate is currently 33% of Onondaga County students. It would be much better to be closer to 0.25.This problem is a result of lack of both wellness education and safe, enjoyable options for physical activity. (Overweight and Obesity).

Program Director, Program Coordinator, Exercise Physiologist, Dietician, Student Volunteers, Parents, Teachers, exercise equipment, monitoring devices, workbooks, evaluation tools, , office space, gymnasium, classroom.

Children, age 7 - 16, will participate in Bright Bodies, a program that provides participants with education on topics of health and physical wellness, as well as opportunities to practice these lessons through exercise and behavior modification.

the outputs will be a monthly count of how many Children, age 7 - 16, sign up for and participate in the program

The percent of childhood obesity will be lower for those participating in the program as compared to those not participating.

The percent of both overweight and obese children will be lower for those participating in the program as compared to those not participating.

The community problem of childhood obesity will decline from the current amount of 33% of Onondaga County students closer to the desired lower level of 0.25.

Scholarship on Childhood Obesity:Why should we care?

• According to clinical studies, childhood obesity puts children at a greater risk for orthopedic, neurological, pulmonary, gasteroenterological, and endocrine conditions. Furthermore, it adversely effects self-esteem, body image and economic mobility. And most importantly, it translates to premature mortality.

• From A. Must and R.S. Strauss. Risks and consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity. International Journal of Obesity (v. 23, p. 2-11)

Scholarship on Childhood Obesity:What do kids need?

• Children have fewer options than were historically available for exercise—this arises both because of changes in how we spend leisure time as well as a decreased available of recreational time and space. Helping children discover new ways to be active will help them to combat sedentary lifestyles and expend more calories.

• From Kenneth R. Fox. Childhood Obesity and the Role of Physical Activity. Perspectives in Public Health (v. 124).

Scholarship on Childhood Obesity:How we can help

• Schools and communities with comprehensive weight control programs—those that include components of diet, exercise, and behavior modification—have lower incidence of overweight and obesity.

• From Paul J. Veugelers and Angela L. Fitzgerald. Effectiveness of School Programs in Preventing Childhood Obesity: A Multilevel Comparison. American Journal of Public Health (v. 95, p. 432-435)

Evaluating the Program• Program outcomes are measured using a parallel control

trial: participants are children with a BMI above the 95th percentile

• The weight of participants was measured prior to beginning the program, after 6 months, after 12 months, and after 24 months.

• Participants’ weight will be used to calculate changes in BMI at each interval.

• If a child’s BMI decreases, this will be scored as 0; if it remains the same or increases, it will be scored as 1.

• We will evaluate whether gender and ethnicity have any effect on outcomes.

• Ideally, we will observe a significant quantity of lower BMI.

Crosstab evaluation49.7% of non-participants had decrease in BMI

48.1% of participants had decrease in BMI

Chi-square is well above .05 level this is not statistically significant

Evaluation with control variables

Conclusions• Based on the analysis of data, Bright

Bodies, the changes in BMI were not statistically significant.

• About half of participants did have a decrease in BMI, which is good, however data does not support that those participants saw changes as a result of the program

Sustainability