Steps to Healthy Living

As one of the largest obesity-prevention and awareness programs in Southern California schools, KID HEALTHY's Steps to Healthy Living Campaign impacts over 95,000 4th and 5th grade students, parents, and teachers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura County schools, youth organizations, and after school programs.

We engage students on an individual level by providing nutrition education activities and fun physical activity trackers to record daily exercise. Students and teachers track their steps for four weeks with the goal of recording 10,000 steps a day. Students receive incentives for their activity. Nutrition education and engaging activities are provided to teachers by the Network for a Healthy California - Children's Power Play! Campaign and the American Cancer Society.

KID HEALTHY'S Steps to Healthy Living campaign runs from April to May and reinforces the positive message about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

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Results of Professional Evaluation
Since inception, we've helped nearly 500,000 4th and 5th graders and more than 60,000 parents have learned to act on this public health problem. We know that if we can positively affect obesity in children now, we can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses as they become adults. And that's a win-win for all of us.

The program is professionally evaluated by Harder+Company Community Research. Data collected over three evaluation years 2004-2007 in Orange County indicates statistically significant impact in terms of:
lasting behavior changes, with 5th graders who participated as 4th graders consuming more fruits and vegetables at breakfast, when compared to their counterparts with no previous experience with the project, and the project is promoting improved behaviors, increased knowledge, and social support, with some of these changes sustained over a follow-up period.

Specific findings include:
1) 85% of parents said they are buying more fruits and vegetables following their child's participation in KID HEALTHY.
2) 79% of families report buying fewer soft drinks following their child's involvement in the program.
3) Nearly one-in-five teachers (17%) reported their students were more active in school during and following KID HEALTHY as well as eating more fruits and vegetables while at school.
4) Nearly one-in-four (23%) teachers said they increased their own physical activity following their participation in the program (67% to 90%).
5) 12% of students reported they now have more than 60 minutes of physical activity daily following participation in the KID HEALTHY program.