National statistics show that the increasing number of overweight children living in the United States is of great concern, and the Santa Maria Valley is now struggling with this issue as well. According to the California Department of Education, physical fitness test results for the Gold Coast Region—the Central Coast—for 2005-2006 showed 36 to 38 percent of fifth, seventh, and ninth graders in Orcutt and Santa Maria are overweight.
To help address this issue, Marian Regional Medical Center and the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum have joined forces to launch Nutrition Expedition. Thanks to a grant from Kohl’s Cares, hospital volunteers will be teaching a free class about healthy nutrition and exercise the second Saturday of each month at the Discovery Museum. The first class will be on Sept. 13 from 9 to 10 a.m. There’s no need to register as the class is available to the first 50 children who show up—and their parents, of course. And families are invited to play in the museum after class!
Each child who embarks on the Nutrition Expedition will receive a free cookbook filled with healthy recipes that are both easy and fun to make. Marian volunteers will show the little chefs and their parents how to prepare a snack or meal and teach them all about making healthy food and lifestyle choices.
Another way local families can help support this program is by purchasing plush items and books that can be found at any checkout stand at the Santa Maria Kohl’s department store. According to Kohl’s Cares, 100 percent of the profits from these items benefit health and educational opportunities for children locally and across the nation.
The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum is at 705 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. m
Amy Asman Blasco, program director for the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum, wrote this week’s Discovery Corner, a weekly column in the Sun highlighting events, science activities, and more. Send comments to discoverycorner@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 11-18, 2014.