Kentucky has one of the highest prevalence for pediatric obesity in the nation. Approximately 38% of Kentucky children ages 10-17 years are considered overweight or obese according to BMI-for-age standards. Half of Kentucky’s children in poor families are overweight or obese. Children in Kentucky are less likely than their counterparts, nationwide, to be physically active for at least 4 days per week, and more likely to spend 2 hours or more in front of a television or computer screen. According to the 2006 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System, 35.3% children ages 0-4 years in Kentucky are overweight or obese.

  To help address this problem, Literacy, eating, and activity for  preschoolers/primary (LEAP) lessons were presented to 48 preschool students at a Headstart program in one elementary school. Four nutrition education lessons were taught by the Family & Consumer Science Assistant by reading food and activity related books along and preparing a healthy recipe.  Recipes and parent newsletters were sent home with the preschool children. The post evaluations revealed: 

98% were more likely to try a new fruit/vegetable and ask for a fruit or vegetable for snack. 

100% could name at least one or more benefit of eating more fruits/vegetables.

 97% could name one or more benefit of physical activity. 

Over the course of LEAP lessons there was an increased excitement by the children about when the next lesson would occur. Parents reported that the children talked about the foods and requested the recipes to prepare at home. With the success of this program, the other five Headstart sites are now requesting the L.E.A.P. lessons. The LEAP program is invaluable to the health of the young children throughout the Commonwealth and continues to be implemented in Bullitt County.