Recent High-Impact Giving Opportunities:
Climte Chnge Updte:
Think Globally, Advocate Locally
Disster Response:
Helping Revive the Gulf Coast Economy
Public-Privte Prtnerships:
Partnering with Governments toImprove Education
Related High-Impact Giving Opportunities:
Helth:
Improving Access to Dental Care for Low-IncomeChildren
Globl Helth:
Shining the Spotlight on NeglectedTropical Diseases
Donors today have an important opportunity to address childhood obesity by supporting programs that help very youngchildren. While school-based obesity prevention programs have received much recent attention, a growing body o researchsuggests that eorts to impact younger children can have even longer-lasting benefts. By helping service providers improvenutrition and physical activity levels in early education and childcare settings, as well as by supporting amilies with youngchildren, donors can play a key role in addressing and even preventing childhood obesity.
CHILDHOOD OESIT:
Increasing ImpactthroughEarly Engagement
Vol. 4 No. 2, January 2011
HIGH-IMPACTGIVINGOPPORTUNITIES
Philanthropy That Makes a Difference
HIGH-IMPACTGIVINGOPPORTUNITIES
Vol. 4 No. 1, November 2010©2011 Arabella Advisors
Currently, more than 10 percent of U.S. two- to ve-year-olds is obese, double the percentage from 30 years ago, andrecent studies show that many toddlers don’t eat a singledaily serving of fruits or vegetables.
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Yet despite high-prolerecent eorts to ght obesity among school-aged children,few funders currently focus specically on improving nutri-tion and addressing obesity in early childhood—during theformative preschool years when many long-term eating andexercise habits take shape. The challenges literally begin at birth. Consistent breast-feeding has been linked to both healthier eating habits inchildhood and to lower rates of obesity, yet breastfeedingrates remain far below national recommendations. Ratesare especially low among black and Hispanic children,who also have more rapid weight gain in infancy—a factorcontributing to obesity later in life.
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The challenges also disproportionately aect poor children. The obesity rate among preschoolers from low-incomehomes is nearly 15 percent, and among some Native Ameri-can populations, it is greater than 20 percent. Ensuring thatall families and childcare providers have the informationand support they need to promote proper nutrition froman early age is critical.Also critical is the quality of meals, snacks, and exerciseprograms provided in early childcare settings, where over 60percent of U.S. children between three and ve are enrolled.
4
About 3.2 million young children from low-income homesreceive meals in such settings through the federal Childand Adult Food Care Program (CACFP).
5
Eorts to improvethe quality of those meals are underway, but signicantimprovements at the federal level are likely many years o.Meanwhile, opportunities to improve nutritional andphysical activity standards at the state level abound.
FACT: One in every three U.S. children is overweight or obese.Over half of obese children become overweight at or before age two.
1
1. http://www.letsmove.gov/obesitytaskforce.php2. http://medical.gerber.com/nirf/cm2/upload/20446F1F-6EB9-4D23-9151-759BC6F598B3/2385_FITS08-PrelimFind-FINALv2-05.pdf 3. http://www.rwjf.org/humancapital/product.jsp?id=563314. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/tables/dt09_043.asp
CHILDHOOD OESIT:
Increasing Impact through Early Engagement
THE CHaEGE
Donors can leverage national atten-tion on childhood obesity by ocus-ing on younger children. A growingbody o research shows that impacting children ata young age is likely to have signifcant beneftsdown the road, and growing rates o obesity makeimmediate action critical.
W NW?
Source: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey;
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%
P e r c e n t o f c h i l d r e n a g e d 1 2 - 1 9 w h o a r e o b e s e B O Y S G I R L S B O Y S G I R L S B O Y S G I R L S
Non-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic BlackHispanics16.7%14.5%19.8%29.2%25.5%17.5%
Childhood Obesity Rates by Race,Ethnicity, and Gender, 2007-08
HIGH-IMPACTGIVINGOPPORTUNITIES
Vol. 4 No. 1, November 2010©2011 Arabella Advisors
THE OPPORTUITIES
Promote childcare licensing guidelines thatstrengthen obesity prevention eforts.
Many states lack adequate childcare licensing guidelinesand oversight. By supporting improved guidelines, such aspolicies promoting healthy foods and requiring minimumamounts of physical activity, donors can promote health-ier habits among young children in childcare programsacross their states. A number of states are already mak-ing strides in setting stronger childcare policies. Thankspartly to the eorts of the Nemours Foundation, Delawarerecently became the rst U.S. state to develop compre-hensive guidelines around nutrition and physical activityfor childcare programs.
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Engage with childcare providers to improvenutrition programs and training.
Donors can reach out to local childcare centers or consor-tia to determine what resources are needed to promotehealthier childcare environments. Support may includefunding for programs providing guidance on healthy mealplanning, appropriate physical activity and play spacefor small children, limiting TV and other screen time, orpurchasing healthy foods. A list of helpful programs andtoolkits can be found in the “Additional Resources” sec-tion below. Donors can also support eorts to train morefrontline childcare providers in adopting and implement-ing meal plan and physical activity programs.
Support programs and policies thatencourage breasteeding.
By supporting hospital-based programs, such as the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, donors can help educate andempower mothers to initiate and continue breastfeeding.Additionally, donors can support legislation and advocacyeorts to promote breastfeeding in the workplace, so thatmore mothers can provide breast milk to their babiesduring the critical early months of life.
elp at-risk amilies ensure good nutritionand tness or their children.
Funding programs that provide educational resourceson nutrition and physical activity to expectant mothersand families can help prevent obesity early in life, espe-cially among at-risk populations. Donors can work withintermediaries, such as Head Start service providers, thatalready deliver educational resources to low-incomefamilies with young children. They can also supportor replicate programs like “text4baby,” a partnershipbetween funders, nonprots, government agenciesand corporations that provides expectant and newmothers with text messages that include tips ongood nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding.
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DISASTER RESPONSE:
Rebuilding theGulf Coast etter
5. http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/cacfp/aboutcacfp.htm6. http://www.altarum.org/research-initiatives-health-systems-health-care/improv-ing-human-health-systems-mission-projects/delaware-exec-summary7. http://www.text4baby.org/about.html8. Amount varies based on child’s age, size, and activity level.See http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/Plan/index.html
CHILDHOOD OESIT:
Increasing Impact through Early Engagement
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Childhood Obesity: Increasing Impact Through Early Engagement | Arabella Advisors
Donors today have an important opportunity to address childhood obesity by supporting programs that help very young children. While school-based obesity prevention programs have received much recent attention, a growing body of research suggests that efforts…
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