This paper describes the results of the first national study to describe Head Start program practices in three areas: assessing body mass index (BMI), addressing food insecurity, and determining children’s portion sizes. Researchers found that nearly all programs (99.5%) reported obtaining height and weight data, but not all calculated BMI or discussed height and weight More
This article discusses the results of a study that compared foods and beverages served to 2- to 5-year-olds by type of child-care site and participation in the federally-funded Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Results from a statewide survey of California child-care providers suggest that CACFP child-care sites in general, and Head Start centers More
Promoting water intake has been proposed in order to displace the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, and new federal and California laws now require water availability in child-care settings. However, some child-care staff have voiced concerns that if young children are provided water with meals, they will fill up on the water and not consume enough More
This study evaluated the effects of two meal service strategies on intake of fruits and vegetables of preschool children: 1) serving fruits and vegetables in advance of other menu items as part of traditional family style meal service; and 2) serving meals portioned and plated by providers. Researchers found that fruit consumption and intake of More
In a 2005 report, “Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?”, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) expert committee concluded that prevailing food and beverage marketing practices did not support a healthful diet and provided recommendations for diverse stakeholders to promote a healthful diet to children and adolescents. This paper reviews the available evidence More
Improving the nutritional quality of foods served in child care may come at a higher cost according to a study of foods served in child-care homes participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Researchers found that higher daily food expenditures were associated with higher total food energy and higher nutritional quality of More
This article discusses a cross-sectional study evaluating the associations between child-care center policies about staff eating practices and caregivers’ dietary behaviors during mealtime interactions with children. Researchers observed no substantial associations between caregiver behaviors and center policies. Caregivers were observed modeling healthy dietary behaviors more frequently at centers that had written policies about staff modeling, More
Goals of promoting water in child care include enabling children at an early age to become accustomed to drinking water as the beverage of choice for quenching thirst, and helping to develop the life-long healthy habit of consuming non-caloric water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. To address water availability in this setting, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids More
This paper discusses the development and psychometric properties (range, internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and construct validity) of an instrument–the Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool–to quantitatively evaluate the comprehensiveness and strength of written nutrition and physical activity policies at preschools and child-care centers. To evaluate the instrument, psychometric analyses were conducted on 94 independent policies from More
The preschool period is a critical time for growth and development, and healthy eating at this age can help prevent later obesity. Despite the large number of children attending center-based child care, current state policies to combat obesity in child care are inadequate. South Carolina is on the verge of implementing new mandatory nutrition standards More
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