UC Cooperative Extension is working to engage parents in the fight against childhood obesity. In a number of California counties, UCCE academics are part of local coalitions aimed at pooling community resources to turn around an epidemic of over eating and lack of exercise.
The Napa Valley Register today profiled a 13-year-old boy, a "picky eater" who subsisted on fast food and sugary snacks. With the advice of a local dietician -- a member of the Napa County's Children and Weight Coalition -- the family is beginning to change the boy's unhealthful habits. Now, the family's refrigerator is filled with plenty of fruit, according to Register reporter Christina de León-Menjivar.
“If he’s hungry, I tell him, ‘Eat an orange,’” the boy's mom is quoted as saying.
The story announces the fact that the Children and Weight Coalition of Napa County holds a meeting tomorrow to discuss childhood weight and health issues in Napa County. The meeting will be in the UC Cooperative Extension Office in Napa.