Letters to the Editor

Preventing early childhood obesity

The number of obese children between the ages of 2 and 5 in the United States has more than doubled over the past 30 years. During childhood, these children are at risk for bone and joint problems, diabetes, sleep apnea and psychological issues related to poor body image and social isolation. As adults, they are 10 times more likely than their normal-weight peers to be obese and to contend with more health problems, including stroke, heart disease, cancer and osteoarthritis.

The key to preventing obesity in the early years is to teach habits that promote physical health. The essentials are diet and exercise.

Young children do not purchase food, so they don’t have control over what they eat. It is the responsibility of adults to offer nutritious foods and balanced meals. A young child’s nutritional intake should consist of 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent proteins and 25 to 30 fats. Because fat is denser in calories, eating too much of it can lead to excessive weight gain. Portion control is important with all foods, but especially with fatty ones. For snacks, rather than potato chips, French fries or cookies, a child should be given foods high in fiber and water content, such as fruits and vegetables.

Children need 60 minutes of exercise a day. Particularly in an urban setting, with limited space for safe play, young children often spend an inordinate amount of sedentary time. It is up to parents and caregivers to create opportunities for physical activity that can be spread throughout the day. Combined, a walk to and from the grocery store in the morning, some jumping jacks in the afternoon and a game of “Simon Says” in the evening could add up to a day’s worth of exercise.

By establishing healthy routines early in a child’s life, adults help to ensure that he or she will grow into a healthy adult.

Janet Rose
Director of Nutrition and Food Services
Associated Early Care and Education

 

Empowering health centers to break through violence

Our community health centers’ ongoing successes and established trust within Boston’s neighborhoods underscore the fact that they need to have a seat at the table when the city discusses how we can tackle Boston’s soaring violence. The city has a real opportunity to adopt anti-violence strategies that capitalize on the strengths of our community health centers. But to be effective, we must also work with these centers to identify their vulnerabilities and determine appropriate responses like increased government investment and more intensified training and support for the staff that are inevitably impacted by a daily exposure to violence.

As we seek to elevate the role that our neighborhood community health centers play in our city’s response to escalating violence, we must be sure that we are promoting and protecting the interests of workers on the frontlines. Guided by a commitment to the highest quality of patient care, we must realize that protecting staff must be as important as protecting patients. That’s why taking inventory of the needs of community health centers must include the identification of resources to strengthen and maintain the physical and mental well-beings of staff.

Over 40 years ago, the health center community was born, and it filled a critical gap in health services. Once again, the city must call upon them to fill a void and help break through this culture of violence and replace it with a culture of safety and support. And we need to call upon all levels of government to support their role with adequate investment in infrastructure.

Undoubtedly, eradicating violence demands proactive, integrated solutions. I believe those solutions lie in the hands of our city and community leaders, our police, our clergy — and our community health centers.

Michael F. Flaherty
Boston City Councilor-at-Large

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