To address the growing concerns of childhood obesity, the Rural Alabama Prevention Center along with two churches, collaborated and formed the “MOO!” Project (Move Over Obesity), a summer initiative whose overarching purpose is to help children become more physically active and gain an understanding of how important it is to move daily in order to reduce health risks associated with overweight and obesity.
Additionally, these children also have unmet healthcare needs which include: a) little to no access to health insurance, b) limited healthy food selections, c) limited access to parks with fencing and lighting, d) limited access to walking trails, and e) limited access to physical activities (sports) after school. Without access to these much-needed services and outlets, children turn their attention to screen time and snacking. Such practices put our children at greater risk of being overweight and obese; which contributes to an early onset of diabetes, health disease, asthma, and other related health problems.
