Effects of a Community-Based Intervention on BMI Trends in a Preschool Population: The Food and Fitness Initiative

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity represents a public health crisis in the United States, affecting 13.9% of preschool-aged children. Most pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to obesity are introduced in early childhood, making this a critical period to consider. The Food and Fitness Initiative (FFI) is a community-based wellness program that focuses on healthy eating and physical activity, implemented in Northeast Iowa. A previous study showed that FFI lowered the rate of increase of body mass index (BMI) levels in school-aged children exposed to the initiative. Our aim is to describe the impact on BMI after implementing …