Creating a Healthy Classroom

Studies have shown that the occurrence of obesity in children has increased in recent years. Eliminating obesity in the early years can prevent the serious health effects associated with obesity before they develop.

The human body is an amazing thing, especially in early childhood when it is constantly growing and changing.  Helping the children in our care stay healthy and fit is important.  Childhood Obesity and Childhood Overweight are associated with various health related consequences. Overweight children may experience immediate health consequences and may be at risk for weight related health problems in adulthood. In addition, there are many other social and economic impacts.

Over the past 30 years, the number of overweight children aged two to five years old has doubled.  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in every four preschoolers is overweight or at risk of being overweight. Currently, one in five children is overweight. Since the late 1970's, the percentage of obese children has increased in all age groups.

The social consequences of being overweight and obese are serious and pervasive. Overweight and obese individuals are often targets of bias and stigma, and they are vulnerable to negative attitudes in employment, educational institutions, medical facilities, mass media, and interpersonal relationships.

Negative attitudes toward obese youth develop in children as young as three years old, and children attribute multiple negative characteristics to overweight peers including being mean, stupid, ugly, unhappy, lazy, and having few friends.

Regularly scheduled well baby visits and ongoing checkups are important for young children. Your center, under the direction of the local licensing agency, should have requirements that insist that recent medical examinations be conducted before a child can enroll in your program.

The methods for maintaining weight or losing weight are the same: the child should eat a healthy diet and increase physical activity. Eating habits and exercise habits go hand in hand.  Active children are more likely to become fit adults. Physical activity is an important component to maintaining health. It burns calories and builds strong bones and muscles. It also helps children sleep better at night and remain alert during the day.

Early childhood professionals have a duty to educate the whole (thinking, feeling, moving) child. Moreover, teachers of preschoolers can be more realistic than parents in their assessment of children's physical activity levels, and preschool teachers' prompting of children has a positive influence on those activity levels. Childcare settings can be a major force in shaping children's dietary intake, physical activity, and energy balance.

Working in concert with family members and health care professionals, you can help diminish the occurrence of childhood obesity and its negative short-term and long-term consequences.

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