Dec. 23, 2004

NACOGDOCHES – "Our childhood is what we spend the rest of our lives overcoming," according to writer Amy Bennett.

On these grounds, many of the next generation of Texas adults may spend much of their lives overcoming having been an overweight child. As much as one-quarter of Texas elementary school students are now clinically overweight, according to the Texas Medical Association. Nationwide, more than 10 percent of preschool children, ages 2 to 5, are overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And when widespread health problems affect preschoolers, child care providers need to deal with it,, said Amanda Drennan, Texas Cooperative Extension family and consumer sciences agent in Sabine County.

The 20th Annual Child Care Conference, set for Jan. 22 at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, will address this issue and others, Drennan said.

The conference, whose theme is "Our Greatest Treasures," is designed for workers and managers of child care centers, and will start at 9 a.m. A total of five and a half continuing education units will be offered.

First on the program will be a welcome from Dr. Marie Saracino, a specialist in child and family development with the SFASU department of human sciences.

She will be followed by Dr. Patsy Hallman, former dean and associate dean for the SFASU College of Education, who will give the keynote address.

Dr. Pam Brown, Extension family and consumer sciences specialist whose expertise is in decision-making strategies for small business owners, will give a presentation before the lunch break.

After lunch, there will be three concurrent sessions. Session one will concern nutrition; session two will be about physical fitness and exercise.

Both of these elements – better nutrition and more physical activity – could a long way in alleviating the problem of overweight children.

Overweight children often become overweight adults, Drennan said. And at the heart the problem is poor nutrition and too much time in front of the television.

"Studies have shown that the more hours a child spends in front of the TV, the more likely they are to be overweight," she said.

However, for toddlers, as with adults, the exercise has to be fun or it won't become a regular habit. The second session will focus on how to make exercise a game, one that both preschoolers and child care workers can enjoy. Also discussed will be rainy day activities that stress exercises, team games, staging successful field trips and aerobic exercise plans will be part of the second session, Drennan said.

Concurrent session three is designed primarily for managers of home-based businesses such as child care centers.

Pre-registration for the conference is $30 and due by Jan. 7. After Jan. 7, registration will be $40. Send registration checks to Jill Parker, Texas Cooperative Extension, 404 East Marshall, Room 101, Longview, TX 75601.