School Districts Fighting Obesity

Two Green Country school districts are taking on a national epidemic. Wagoner and Coweta schools are starting a program aimed at fighting childhood obesity. News On 6 anchor Terry Hood reports school leaders are hoping CATCH gets school kids on the path of a healthy lifestyle.

Wagoner and Coweta school teachers are getting their first taste of CATCH, a University of Texas based program that sets its sights on childhood obesity.

"Oh, I think it's epidemic proportions across the United States," said CATCH Program National Director Peter Cribb.

Cribb is helping implement the program. He says 18% of children in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese.

Physical education teacher Benny Nail says fast food is a big reason, but he also says technology is partly to blame.

"With all the X-boxes and PlayStation they have now a days, iPods and all that they want to sit inside and play their games," said Nail.

Organizers say children learn from the adults they're around and with 66% of the population in Wagoner County overweight, they believe these two school districts are a perfect place to begin the fight.

"We don't want to have our students just learn the three R's but leave out the physical fitness and the lifelong learning of fitness and nutrition as well," said Coweta Schools Superintendent Jeff Holmes.

CATCH works by showing kids which foods to eat and which foods to avoid. It also gets them active, for example dancing or walking around in class instead of sitting still and waiting for the bell. The health department says kids who are overweight face a myriad of problems later in life.

"If they stay obese they are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes," said Barbara Volz of the Wagoner County Health Department.

Teachers say childhood obesity is actually very easy to fight, it just takes dedication.

"Have kids get up and go outside and do something, don't just sit inside the house. I know it's hot but you still got to get up and go do something," said Nail.

Saint Francis Hospital donated $130,000 to help fund the program, which is being run through the Wagoner County Health Department.