HEALTHY KIDS CHALLENGE
Claudia L. Hohnbaum, MA, RD, LD
Healthy Kids Challenge Assistant Director
1-888-259-6287
claudia@healthykidschallenge.com
HEALTHY KIDS CHALLENGE
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Nationally recognized nonprofit
Kansas based
Led by registered, licensed dietitians
11 years of evidence based best practices
Our Mission
Use every day ways to guide schools,
communities, and programs in creating
solutions to help kids and families Connect
Health And Needs, Get Excited (C.H.A.N.G.E).
Kansas Kids Connect Activity
& Nutrition (C.A.N.) Grant
Kansas Kids C.A.N. Grant
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3 year grant funded by the Sunflower Foundation,
Health Care for Kansans
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Designed to build the capacity of existing youth
programs and schools to integrate healthy eating and
physical activity into existing policy, program, & practice
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Impact – 10,000 kids, 16 counties in southwest Kansas,
50 schools/youth programs over 3 years
Why? The Problems
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1 in 4 Kansas kids are overweight or at
risk for overweight
A majority of Kansas kids are not getting
recommended amounts of
physical activity (55%)
fruits and vegetables (79%)
Centers for Disease Control, YRBS 2007
The Problems
Like others, western Kansas faces challenges in
creating healthy change:
 Time
 Less than optimal staffing
 Funds
A unique challenge is the limited number and types of
healthcare professionals available to offer leadership
and guidance for creating and supporting healthy
change.
What were the C.A.N. solutions?
Healthy C.H.A.N.G.E.
Connect Health And Needs, Get Excited
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Target Multiple Environments
Build Capacity with KidLinks
Build a Foundation with 5 Step Process
Use 5 Key Strategies
* People who can help kids make healthy eating & physical activity choices a habit.
5 Steps for C.H.A.N.G.E.
Grantees were required to
1. Form local partnerships
2. Serve in a mentor program
3. Attend training & use new
teaching tools & resources in their programming
4. Participate in distance assistance & support
5. Celebrate & share their successes & challenges
5 Strategies for C.H.A.N.G.E.
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Assess current policies, programs, practices
Create an action plan for healthy change
Develop staff wellness
Create a common purpose to “rally” around
Use consistent, repetitive healthy messages
Assess - Call To Action
What exists in the environment?
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Are healthy foods offered?
Are reward systems nonfood
related?
Is physical movement included in
programs?
What policies guide eating &
activity?
Create an Action Plan
Action plans are a tool to
 Develop participation
 Communicate changes
 Build support
Develop Staff Wellness
“School staff wellness may be the key to
impacting a healthy school environment”
James Bogden, MPH, NASBE Center for Safe and Healthy
Schools, April 2008
Create a “Rally Point”
for Collaboration and Mentoring
National Hospital Week
 Fruit and Veggie Trivia
 Fat and Sugar Displays
 MyPyramid Awareness
 Healthy Behaviors
“Collaborations that have developed
have been very valuable.” Participant
Use Consistent Messages
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Increase Fruits and Veggies
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Increase Physical Activity
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Decrease Screen Time
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Eat Breakfast Regularly
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Choose Smart Servings
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Replace Soda & Sugary Drinks with Water
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Attack Snacks: Lower Fat & Sugar Foods
What Were the Results
of Actions Taken?
Results – Personal Wellness
A 2007 survey of grantee respondents revealed:
 81% were eating more fruits and vegetables
 70% were choosing more healthy snacks
 74% were choosing water over higher sugar/fat
beverages
 74% were eating breakfast more often
 59% were more physically active
 55% were drinking more milk
Results – Personal Wellness
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Healthy breakfast added as a employee health benefit
Healthy snack choices added for employees, patients’
families, & visitors
Employees offered fresh fruit & veggie trays during Hospital
Week
“We’re incorporating physical activity programs for the
employees.” Participant
“Our dietary department is serving salad each day and healthier
snacks for staff.” Participant
Results - Collaboration
Medical Clinic – Hospital – Library—School develop
afterschool “Kids Klub”
More activity—healthy rewards—gardening
parent connections—healthy snacks
fun skill building lessons
“Kids Klub has really changed our house. My son asks
for salad now instead of candy… As a family, we do so
many more fun activities instead of sitting around the
TV… We are really seeing a conscious effort from a lot
of the kids to be more active and eat better.” Participant
Results - School Lunch Changes
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Fresh or canned fruit replaced high-sugar
desserts
Salad bar added with low-fat dressings
More fresh fruits and vegetables
Fewer pre-made, processed foods
Homemade whole wheat bread
Outcome: When the lunch program introduced a
fully stocked salad bar, and eliminated traditional
desserts, meals served per day doubled.
Results - Policy
The Board of Education of one school adopted the
following as part of a new snack policy:
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A quarterly “Special Lunch”, consisting of soda
and candy bar, has been renamed “Snack and
Chat” and now features a healthy snack
Candy and soda reading goal rewards have been
replaced with extra recess time or a new book
Healthy snacks replace high sugar treats for
classroom parties
Results – Changes in Practice
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Physical activity is integrated into core curriculum at least 3-4 times
per week
Classroom lessons are coordinated with others
Bulletin boards share healthy messages
Healthy messages are incorporated into P.E. classes
Healthy eating messages and physical activity have been
incorporated into existing events
Staff fitness programs have increased participation
“This is a change…that has resulted from our school's emphasis on
wellness. We truly are all learning more about how to be healthy.”
Participant
Results – Program Change
Interactive Health Fair Goes P.A.W.S.
Collaboration with the local hospital, public library, and county
extension resulted in unique twists to their own interactive sessions
Families took time to Practice Awesome Wellness Steps (P.A.W.S.)
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Hands-on “how to” application of healthy eating & physical activity
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Continuous movement activities for kids
Sports skills taught by high school athletes
Cooking demos given by high school student
Healthy “Snackin’ given by cafeteria “lunch ladies”
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85% of participants surveyed said they were positive that the health
fair experience would help their family eat healthier and be more
active.
Results – Unusual Environments
“Camp C.A.N. Do” afterschool library program
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Kids kept active with hula hoops, dance videos, & outdoor
adventures
Hands-on healthy eating lessons including making & tasting
snacks
Kids tracked their progress on charts
“The children will approach me in public to share how they have
been eating their fruits and vegetables even during the holidays.
It’s great to know they are practicing what they learn. They also
share what the school is doing for healthy eating and activity.”
Participant
Results – MORE Library success!
One library revealed its’ own secrets for success:
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A vision that guides staff to include healthy eating &
physical activity in every kids' program
Administration & board support healthy programming
Policies support a healthy library environment
Community group partnerships
Parent volunteers for events
Staff role-modeling healthy choices
Healthy incentives reward kids' successes
Results After Year Two
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4 programs reported decreased employee absences
and/or health insurance costs
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20 programs reported change in DAILY practices
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13 programs reported environmental changes to support
healthy eating/physical activity
90% of grantees reported their level of commitment to
creating healthy changes in their programs/schools
between 8-10 on a scale of 1 (very low) to 10 (very high)
Challenges
Short-term benefits of early attitude &
behavior changes were evident however
the greatest challenges to long-term
success are:
Staff turnovers
 Broad administrative support
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Bright Promises
More studies are showing the benefits of healthy eating
and physical activity and the risks of poor eating and
overweight.
A recent study found
 Overweight students had lower reading comprehension
scores
 Heavier kids had more school absences and were 5 times
more likely to have more detentions
July 2008 issue of the Obesity Journal
Teachers & youth leaders care about kids & when given time &
resources, find creative ways to support healthy eating &
physical activity through their daily practices.
Implications for Lessons Learned
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Support grassroots efforts
Facilitate collaboration
Target multiple environments with
associated policies, programs and
practices
Support employee wellness
Inspiration - Support - Recognition
“C.A.N. has been my inspiration to not give up
personally, as well as on our children of the
future. It's been an amazing resource, full of
valuable information and materials. It's been
my motivation to reach out to the community
and make a difference. I am only one person,
but I can try to reach out and help as many
people as I can - including myself.”
More Grantees Quotes
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“This collaboration has been a win-win arrangement all
around. I have incorporated some better lifestyle choices in
my own family as well.” Participant
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Not only has (C.A.N.) made a huge difference in my kids’
outlook on food and exercise it has really made me very
conscious of the choices that I make as well. I have started
the Walk Kansas program, so I take my kids out for walks in
the evenings, and I try to fix healthy meals. In turn, our family
is much healthier and happier because it brings us together
instead of sitting around watching TV or video games!”
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Participant