Fighting Childhood Obesity

We hear about the problem of obesity plaguing children all the time... But how can parents and those who work with kids stop those health effects before they start?  The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department just received a grant that will help them provide access to physical activity and healthier food options to some local kids who need it the most.

Tammy Heard picks out her produce at the Food Bank today.  She's trying to feed her family, including four kids, on a low income.  "It's really tough, really tough when you don't have enough to get food, all you have is to pay your bills."

Heard says what's even harder is trying to eat healthy foods like fruit, and whole grain bread, resisting the cheap, easy processed items.  "It's just more expensive because it's higher in stores than it is to go out and buy it already made. That makes it tough.

And she's not alone.  Which is exactly why Hamilton County was awarded a $360,000 grant for their Step One program.  It's designed to improve physical activities and healthy eating habits for residents in East and South Chattanooga.  Project Manager John Bilderback says, "It's hard to convince someone to buy fresh fruits and veggies that they have to prepare within a 3 to 4 day period, that doesn't rot, that's time and money, and the cost itself."

At Calvin Donaldson Elementary, that initiative has already been in place for about a year, with gardens where they can show the kids about planting vegatables like broccoli and peppers, that they can later eat for a healthy meal.

At lunchtime, we got a firsthand look at what kids are eating, not pizza and fries, but carrots and rice.

It's an effort to support healthy habits for students here, 98 percent of which take part in free and reduced lunches.  And a few rooms down, recess is in full swing.

It's hard choices you make for your health, but ones Hamilton County hopes will lower the obesity rate.  Heard adds, "It's real tough but you have to go in and do what you can do."

Tennessee is ranked as the 4th fattest state in the country.  The grants received for the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities project will last four years, hoping to change local health habits.

And it's not just children that are affected by obesity.  According to the CDC more than one third of adults are obese.