Frasier B. Zahniser, M.Ed., C.F.C.S.
THE New Year brings promises of a healthier lifestyle for many of us. How about the children in your life? Are you doing what you can to help them fight childhood obesity, a serious medical condition for too many of our children?
A lifestyle that promotes healthy weight includes physical activity, as well as what we eat. Both factors present challenges for adults, as well as their children.
The job of feeding young children can be hard. Children can be fussy and refuse the food we’ve worked hard to prepare. They often prefer junk food to more nutritious options. Likewise many things get in the way of children’s active play – the attraction of TV, video games, computers and playtime safety concerns.
Penn State Cooperative Extension’s Better Kid Care program is sponsoring a series to help child-care providers and interested parents of young children promote healthy eating and active play.
The Fighting Childhood Obesity series begins Feb. 10 with “They Are What They Eat.” April 14 is “Active Play” and May 12, “The Real Facts about Fiber.”
Dietitian Kathi French, Extension educator, and I will facilitate these workshops produced by Penn State’s Better Kid Care staff.
The workshops will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Leslie N. Firth Learning Center, 463 N. Perry Highway, north of Mercer in Coolspring Township.
Registration is required by Feb. 3 for this workshop by using the Mercer County Better Kid Care registration form found online at http://mercer.extension.psu.edu under Families and Children, then Upcoming Programs. You can also register by calling our office at 724-662-3141.
DPW, Act 48 hours and Penn State Continuing Education Units are available for participating in the workshop.
Frasier B. Zahniser is Family Living/4-H Youth Development education for Mercer County Cooperative Extension.
