Some local coalitions are getting creative to get children’s weight back on track. One local coalition of Delaware County organizations has created a program called Healthy Living Take Charge! Their goal is to take concrete steps to lower the county’s high obesity rates among adults and children.
As Tamara White, co-chairman of Healthy Living and a Delaware County Health Department employee, said, “Instead of reinventing the wheel, coming up with a program that may get funded for a couple of years and that’s it, we created small grants to assist agencies that already have a good track record creating obesity-focused programs. The focus on obesity is what we needed in this community and this way we’re working on this issue.”
Healthy Living Take Charge! is using its $14,000 in mini-grant dollars to offer money to programs that address both nutrition and physical activity. They are trying to encourage day cares, preschools and other agencies that work with young children to use their forum to address obesity and to teach children at an early age.
