A community-based program to decrease the risk of childhood obesity.

In the United States 80% of obese adolescents, 50% of obese preschool-aged children, and 50% of school-aged children are prone to develop adult obesity. Health education and physical activity for children at risk for obesity are key to mitigating the risk of developing obesity as an adult. Health education and physical activity complement each other, improving children's behaviors and attitudes towards health. This study builds upon an existing body of knowledge about the prevention of obesity and long-term morbidity among rural youth from disadvantage backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to improve the attitudes and behaviors towards healthy eating through combining health education and physical activity among children of Macon County, Alabama. We conducted a mixed method design with a cluster sample of 11 participants. We used a pre/posttest lifestyle student created questionnaire guided by the Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) lifestyle questionnaire and the Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire to characterize health behaviors (i.e., consumed vegetables, fruits, sweet drinks and water) and attitudes (i.e., enjoyment of exercise, emotional eating, ways of staying active when the weather is bad). Our study concluded that an interactive health education and physical activity interventions positively influenced healthy eating behaviors and attitudes in nine out of eleven participants for attitudes and six out of eleven participants for behaviors on healthy eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]