Cedar Rapids Kids Making Healthy Choices

By Claire Kellett, Anchor/Reporter

Tools

By Becky Ogann

Story Created: Mar 13, 2007 at 7:35 PM CDT

Story Updated: Mar 13, 2007 at 10:11 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids kids are making national headlines. Tuesday night, the district is sharing the results of an eight-month study focusing on healthy choices.

The volunteer study is called Switch. The program is meant to help kids switch off the TV and computer, change eating habits, and boost activity levels.

At the beginning of last school year, Minnesota researchers from the National Institute on Media and the Family asked six schools in the Cedar Rapids district to help with the study.

More than 700 kids in third through fifth grades kept daily logs tracking what they chew, what they do, and what they view every day. And Tuesday, preliminary results show local students and their families are doing their part fighting obesity in kids.

60 percent of the kids increased their exercise, almost half ate more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, and about 40 percent cut back the time they spend with media

The Cedar Rapids school district is one of only two districts in the country participating in this study. Minnesota researchers say these local results will have widespread impact.

"The CDC is looking at the program, Bill Dietz, the founder of obesity research, he is actually saying this study is very promising because not very many programs focus on the three areas we're working with," said Randi Callahan, Swift project manager.

Parents also took part in the study. Results were pretty much the same, except in the activity column. Most parents did not increase their exercise level, only about 30 percent compared to 60 percent of kids.

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