Head Start Programs Are Good For The Mind And The Body

Previous studies have shown that head start programs can help children excel in school. Yet did you know it can also help them fight obesity, too. A new study found that obese or overweight children in Head Start preschool were more likely to slim down when compared with children of similar circumstances who were not in the program.

For the study, researchers examined 44,000 preschool-aged children in Michigan, many coming from low-income homes, including 19,000 Head Start Kids. All of the participants were compared with children from Medicaid families and with those from wealthier, privately insured families. Health records and Head Start data provided height and weight measurements for participants between the ages of 2 and 6, as well.

Findings revealed that roughly 16 percent of the children entering Head Start were obese, versus 12 percent of Medicaid children and 7 percent of counterparts. Another 11 percent of the Head Start children initially became normal weight when compared with none of the Medicaid kids and less than 2 percent of the others.

Study improvements lasted through the end of the study while children entered their first year of school. 

Researchers reiterate that this is not about losing weight, but more to the point, about children picking up healthy lifestyles early on and parents and teachers setting a good example for them to live by. Furthermore, researchers said they believe that Head Start may help to free up parents' financial resources as well as time to help reduce stress and allow them to shop for healthier foods as well as cook more often and engage in more recreational activities.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Pediatrics.

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