Health and Nutrition- Obesity in Children. Elizabeth Ojeda, Yenny Ramirez, Catalina Osorio, Silvia Martinez, Claudia Alejandra Bernal Gonzalez, Maribel Aguilar Mendez, Any Yudit Izquierdo, Mayra Garfias, Silvia Cazares.

1. RESEARCH
PROJECT Childhood obesity
Causes and consequences of poor diet and the support of educators in the
classroom
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
Sankofa ECE Program
Evergreen State College
Spring 2023
Elizabeth Ojeda Mayra Garfias Yenny Ramirez
Maribel Aguilar Catalina Osorio Silvia Martínez Silvia Cazares

2. Project Title Childhood obesity: Main causes and consequences of inadequate nutrition and support of
educators in the classroom.
Introduccion
Recognition
Health and nutrition in children are basic in their first years of life, as they grow, they require
additional nutrients, which are provided in a healthy and balanced diet, accompanied by
exercises and healthy environment. Failure to provide healthy food can have an impact on
childhood obesity, triggering emotional disorders and learning difficulties. This research focuses
on how can early childhood educators collaborate with families with traditional meals to impact
overweight preschool children?, thus providing support to families and community, respecting
cultural and sensitive diversity in the classroom.
This research focuses on the traditional and cultural homelands of the indigenous population of
Tacoma and is supported by The Evergreen State College - Tacoma in Washington State.

3. Literature review
For decades the childhood obesity has been an issue that has impacted worldwide, there are many
efforts of organizations, entities, institutions, professionals, teachers, parents to counteract this
situation, however day by day continues to be present in Society. For this research it was necessary
to investigate several sources of information and of them we can highlight:
Obesity at an Early Age and its Impact on Child Development: Chaput and Tremblay (2006)
stated: "It is likely that changes in the environment (e.g., nutrition and lifestyle) are primarily
responsible for the current obesity epidemic, as the gene pool cannot change in less than a
generation" (p. 2).
Helping Children: Recommendations for Parents and Other Caregivers: National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2019) explained: As a parent or caregiver, you play an
important role in shaping children's eating and drinking habits. When you get into the habit of
eating foods and beverages that are low in added sugars, saturated fats, and salt and high in fiber,
the children you care for may also learn to like these foods. (p. 1)
Children, Food and Nutrition: Growing Up Well in a Changing World United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF) (2019) states: "Millions of children do not eat enough of the food they need, while
millions more overconsume the food they do not need: poor nutrition is now the main risk factor
for the global burden of disease" (p. 9).

4. Methodology
Based on the research question: How can early childhood educators collaborate with families with traditional meals
to impact overweight in preschool children? A survey is carried out which is the tool that facilitates the obtaining of
information from the educational community, for which the instrument of surveys is defined (Category – interviews)
which adapts to the type of population to be interviewed.
Steps for the surveys (Category – interviews):
1. Formulation of questions according to the person or professional to be interviewed.
2. Selection and distribution of personnel to interview.
3. Execution of interviews.
4. Collection of responses.
5. Analysis of answers. .
For this last section it was necessary to consolidate the answers of
the interviewees, to count the questions with answers, questions
with non-answers. Reading each of the answers to give a general
conclusion without leaving the general context. Finally, the
representative questions that are the random samples are defined
as evidence of the research

5. Results
Critical
Factor
Strategy Indicator Meta Efficiency
Childhood
Obesity
Survey
Category -
interview
# Community leaders /
knowledge and contributions
in healthy and balanced
food.
# questions asked /
# questions with
answer.
# questions asked / #
questions with no answer.
Identify different
views, concepts
and strategies
regarding
adequate nutrition
for children at an
early age to
decrease
childhood obesity.
100%
66%
33%

6. Results
How important is food in the first years of life?
Good nutrition is essential to support their
growth, development and protect children from
possible diseases.
What are the best methods(s) to prevent childhood
obesity?
Offering a wide variety of foods, modeling good eating
habits, physical activity. It is essential that you pay
attention to a child's signals and allow him to stop eating if
he is full.
What foods should be limited in a
child's diet?
All foods high in refined sugar,
flours, foods with excess fat. Can the vegetarian diet be
starting as babies?
It is possible to offer
children a vegetarian diet
from their first months of
life as it is suitable for all
stages of life.
How many meals is recommended to
eat during the day?
5 times, breakfast, lunch, lunch, snack
and dinner.
Until what age is it advisable to breastfeed a baby?
This is a mother/child decision, and each mother will make a
different decision. However, at 6 months of age, the child's body
needs solid foods rich in iron and protein. At 2 years a child
should get with his diet all the required nutrients.
* Observaciones / Muestra aleatoria

7. Discussion
The misconceptions we have about proper nutrition, considering some foods of little
nutritional value, which should not be part of the daily diet of children at an early age.
The lack of information as to what kind of food we can give children that is pleasant and the
omissions we make in the classroom, this ceases to be a bias to become a useful tool for
research, taking a turn and a change of concepts, coming to understand that according to the
customs and cultures of families, they feed their children, considering it to be the best way.
By analyzing the answers of the interview and opinions of the leaders of the community, we
identified that in our ethnic roots there is a good combination of excellent foods from which
menus can be created to supply in the Child Care Centers according to the cultures of the
families. This way children eat healthy, and their stomachs will make them happy.

8. Conclusions
By doing this research we understood that the basis for being healthy is to give ourselves love and
this is achieved by eating in a balanced way and exercising daily. In order to improve the self-love of
the children in our classes and families, self-care is necessary, that is, consciously orienting our
actions towards situations that generate physical, emotional and mental well-being. Improving the
levels of love, nutrition and health evident in their behavior and attitudes.

9. Photo register

10. Interviews with Community Leaders

12. Wachipilin With Beans
Quesadilla

13. Poster
Obesidad
Infantil

14. References
UNICEF. (2018). THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN 2019 Children, Food and Nutrition: Growing Well in a
Changing World. https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/Estado-mundial-de-la-infancia-2019.pdf
Chaput, J. P. y Tremblay, A. (2006). Obesity at an early age and its impact on child development. Encyclopedia-infants.
https://www.enciclopedia-infantes.com/pdf/expert/obesidad-infantil/segun-los-expertos/la-obesidad-una-edad-
temprana-y-su-impacto-en-el-desarrollo
Nutrition for children: guidelines for a healthy diet (2022, September 30). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/es-
es/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/nutrition-for-kids/art-20049335

15. References
Castro, D. E. (2022, April 8). 10 tips to fight childhood obesity. Better with health. https://mejorconsalud.as.com/10-
consejos-para-luchar-contra-la-obesidad-infantil/
Helping Children: Recommendations for Parents and Other Caregivers- NIDDK. (n.d.). National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-
information/weight-control/healthy-eating-activity-physical-life/helping-children

16. Thanks