HAB45 focuses on preventing early childhood obesity because evidence shows that habits adopted in the earliest years can predictably influence future lifestyle habits and health.
Studies have shown that overweight preschoolers are 5 times more likely to be overweight at age 12, and that early childhood overweight is a strong predictor for adult obesity and its associated problems of diabetes, hypertension, and other lifetime problems.
Healthy and Active Before 5 is a grant-funded project run by both an Executive Committee and a larger Leadership Council.
The Executive Committee guides our project’s day-to-day implementation and evaluation. This committee consists of representatives from the Contra Costa Child Care Council, First 5 Contra Costa, Contra Costa Health Services, Kaiser Permanente, John Muir Health and West County HEAL. The Executive Committee meets bi-monthly and partners with Families CAN, a local collaborative focused on nutrition. The Executive Committee members are accountable to our project funders.
Funders
To date, we have received $233,000 in grant funding from Kaiser Permanente, United Way of the Bay Area, and The California Endowment. We thank them for their generous support and promise to put their money to good use.
Healthy and Active Before 5 is a collaborative, not a nonprofit. The Contra Costa Child Care Council acts as our fiscal agent.
History
Healthy & Active Before 5 was started at a picnic table. A group of committed people came together out of their mutual concern for the growing problem of childhood obesity. They came to gather without funding …or even a meeting room.
In 2007, Families CAN, First 5 Contra Costa, the Contra Costa Child Care Council, West County HEAL, Kaiser Permanente, and Contra Costa County Health Services joined together to form Healthy and Active Before 5 (HAB45.) These agencies continue to share ownership of the project, and collectively guide its scope of work.
With the help of the Prevention Institute, HAB45 undertook an extensive planning effort. The HAB45 Action Plan was written from the input of 130 community members and 85 additional key informants. Community forums took place in English and Spanish. Families and childcare providers described the personal barriers to providing healthy lifestyles for their children. All participants agreed, education is not enough to prevent childhood obesity.
The Healthy and Active Before 5 Action Plan outlines 8 principles which focus on ensuring that families and care providers for children five and under have the information they need to make healthy eating and physical activity decisions. These strategic principles emphasize the importance of making changes within our community so that the healthy choice is the easy choice.
The HAB45 Leadership Council was formed to provide guidance and expertise in crafting our Healthy and Active Before 5 Action Plan. This Leadership Council continues to meet twice yearly and is comprised of leaders and decision-makers in Contra Costa government, health care, children’s services, the faith community, businesses, education, public safety and non-profits.
Staff
Jennifer June Balogh (pronounced “Bay-low”)− Jennifer has been helping individuals and groups make better decisions for over fifteen years. She is the originator of the Deciding Out Loud—A unique approach to group decision making, which successfully transforms individual interests and values, into shared agreements and group accountability. Jennifer holds a MPH in Behavioral Sciences, and a MSW in Planning & Mental Health, both from UC Berkeley. She took the job as Program Manager of Healthy and Active Before 5 “…because the work is so important and the people are so nice.”
Tonya D. Love − Tonya’s aim is to reduce the health disparities experienced by underrepresented minorities. She recognizes the role that obesity plays in many important chronic diseases. Although her background is in the laboratory, she now feels that she could make a bigger impact working in public health prevention. She writes occasionally on her blog “Love, Health and Advocacy”. Go Tonya!
