Pediatric obesity can impact children for a lifetime

Our school nurses and community health navigators are working with several Milwaukee Public Schools to implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coordinated school health model. Strategies range from education for students, staff and families to healthy meal nights to classroom physical activity breaks.

Children’s Hospital is a member of this coalition focused on reducing childhood obesity in Milwaukee through environmental and policy improvements and changes that promote healthy eating and active living. Key areas of focus include healthy foods and beverages, land use, active living, and curriculum and professional development.

Our e-learning programs include Mission: Health, curriculum designed to change knowledge, attitudes and behavior of kindergarten through eighth-grade students around eating and activity.

We are part of this Fox Valley area initiative to educate the community on the causes, impact and complexity of obesity; enhance and build capacity to deal with the issue of obesity by bringing people together; and define steps to address the issue of obesity in the Fox Valley.

We participate on ThedaCare’s Community Health Action Team, a diverse group of leaders from all sectors of the community that come together to understand and improve local health issues.