For kids in the greater Kansas City area, really big food is normal. Since they’ve been old enough to watch TV they’ve been exposed to images of giant burgers, bagels, expanding candy bars, monster-sized tubs of popcorn and sodas large enough to splash in.

And boy, does it show. Our kids are less healthy than ever. A combination of lower activity levels, harried

lifestyles, access to quick, inexpensive food and out-of-control portion sizes is adding up to more type II diabetes in young people, as well as a host of other ailments.

In fact, if eating styles don’t change, health experts warn that for the first time a generation of young people may have shorter life spans than their parents.

The Weighing In Collaborative brings together community members representing local health departments, schools, hospitals, insurance companies, youth groups, early child care providers and others interested in decreasing childhood obesity. The collaborative meets quarterly to promote educational opportunities and provides a forum to discuss the progress and programs related to childhood obesity issues.

The Weighing In Collaborative supports and monitors a special campaign, EAT SMALL, which delivers a steady diet of portion control messages to tweens.

The Eat Small campaign helps by teaching them how to exercise portion control, especially when they’re tempted by SUPERSIZED portions in restaurants or even when eating with their families or friends at home.

But when the bag of potato chips comes their way, how do tweens know what’s a reasonable portion?

“Eat Small” shows them. Through a media and educational campaign with key messages such as “Don’t Supersize Me!” and “Supersizing Isn’t Cool. Smaller, Healthy Portions Rule.”

Radio, billboards, movie screens as well as buses have displayed the slogans and graphics of the campaign.

In addition, “tool kits” for teachers, school nurses and community program leaders are being distributed through area schools and community partners. These “tool kits” of resources, creative lesson ideas, posters, refrigerator magnets and parent tips are offered at no cost while supplies last. THERE ARE STILL MATERIALS AVAILABLE. Please call the MCHC office at (816) 283-6242 ext. 0 to learn more.

On this page, you’ll find downloadable materials for use in your school or community organization. You may use them freely, giving credit to the Eat Small campaign and Mother & Child Health Coalition.

Useful Materials

The following materials are from the www.mypyramid.gov web site and contain reproducible worksheets for the classroom, such as “What’s on the Label?”, “What’s the Score?” and many more.

Here are some television spots highlighting the Eat Small campaign.

TV Spots

 

These pages have been adapted from documents created by NC SNAC in 2003. They can be found in the original form at this web site: www.fns.usda.gov.

Contact

For information about the Eat Small program and teaching materials available through the MCHC office, please contact us at (816) 283-6242 (Extension 0) or info@mchc.net