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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Katie Miller, Waukesha Community Liaison Waukesha County Vanguard Center- National Childrens Study Ph: (262) 798-0002 Cell: (262) 719-5896 Email: mkmiller@mcw.edu www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov

National health study seeks clues to childhood obesity

Waukesha NCS Study Center offers free Healthy Halloween Handouts for families WAUKESHA, WI October 17, 2011. The National Childrens Study in Waukesha County is offering families an alternative to sugary treats this Halloween. The Study Center is once again providing free Healthy Halloween Handout kits. The free kits are available for pick-up at the Studys local office (located at 21075 Swenson Drive, Suite 900 in Waukesha) between 9am and 4pm from October 17 through October 29 or while supplies last. Directions and more information are available by calling (262) 798-0002 or toll free (877) 2532809. Healthy Halloween Handout kits contain items like custom Pete the Pumpkin paper eye glasses, rubber wristbands, pencils and other non-food items that can be given to trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. In addition, each kit includes an NCS t-shirt and reusable water bottle. There was such a positive response to the kits last year, we just had to bring them back, said Katie Miller, community liaison for the National Childrens Study in Waukesha County. The kits serve as a reminder that Halloween doesnt have to be full of candy to be fun. People are excited to have a fun alternative to sugary treats to share with their trick-or-treaters. NCS Seeks Clues to Obesity Problem If you havent heard them before, the statistics about obesity in America are scary. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese. About 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 219 years are obese. Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled. Statewide, 25% of Wisconsin high school students are overweight or obese. About 60% of obese adolescents will be obese adults. Right here in Waukesha County, approximately 14% of children under the age of 5 in the Waukesha County WIC Nutrition program are obese. The National Childrens Study is collecting information that could help answer questions about environmental and genetic contributors to childhood obesity, and other childhood health issues, in areas throughout Waukesha 1

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE County. It is a unique research project that will follow 100,000 children nationwide, from before they are born, until they turn 21. The problems associated with childhood obesity reach far beyond childhood said Miller. Learning about how day-to-day environmental exposures might be connected to childhood obesity is one of the goals of the National Childrens Study, said Miller. By tracking childrens health and development from conception through infancy, childhood, and early adulthood, the Study will provide a rich data source that researchers can use to learn more about what makes children healthy, and to better explain how the environment impacts childrens ability to grow into healthy adults. Locally, the Waukesha County Study Center has been enrolling participants since May 2009. More than 250 families from Waukesha County have volunteered to participate so far. The National Childrens Study in Waukesha County continues to enroll eligible participants as the Study expands nationwide. The Study is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver/ National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Within Waukesha County, the Study is being conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Medical College of Wisconsin. The Co-Principal Investigators are Dr. Maureen Durkin, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dr. Steven Leuthner, Medical College of Wisconsin. For more information: Like us on Facebook at http/www.facebook.com/ncswaukeshacounty Visit the NCS website at www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov Call our local offices at 262-798-0002 or toll-free 877-253-2809

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kits contain: Pete the Pumpkin glasses, rubber bracelets, NCS pencils, Pete the Pumpkin bookmarks, an NCS water bottle, and an NCS t-shirt.