Cleveland schools to battle obesity

By Brie Zeltner

Plain Dealer Reporter

The Children’s Museum of Cleveland and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital are teaming with the Cleveland School District to create a plan to address the nation’s rising rate of childhood obesity through local early-childhood school programs.

The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundationhas granted the three institutions $340,000 to create and implement the plan.

“A great deal of attention has been focused on obesity in older children and teens,” Foundation President Mitchell Balik said. “But obesity starts in young children, and programs for young children are needed.”

The plan will embed a curriculum for physical activity, nutrition and healthy living into the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten curriculum, said Thea Wilson, executive director of the Cleveland schools’ Early Childhood Education department.

Wilson said the obesity-prevention curriculum would not take time away from basic lessons.

The pilot program will begin in the fall at the district’s Early Childhood Development Center (the former Charles Orr School).

The program will consist of hands-on and interactive lessons and will include a companion session for parents.