PROJECT STAFF:	Mindy Jossefides, WIC Director Brandy Warwick-Thier, WIC Nutritionist Coordinator
PROJECT PERIOD:	October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2003
FUNDING SOURCES:	United Stated Department of Agriculture

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the FIT WIC Project is to prevent obesity among ITCA WIC children ages two to five.

The incidence of childhood obesity has increased dramatically over the past 30 years. The highest prevalence of overweight occurs in American Indian children. Data from the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona WIC program indicates that over 30% of children 1-5 years of age are overweight. Childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension and is increasingly associated with Type II diabetes mellitus in American Indian communities during early childhood. Obese children who become obese adults are at a greater risk for developing Type II diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease, arthritis and certain cancers.

In order to improve the responsiveness of WIC to the problem of overweight in its participants, the ITCA FIT WIC Project was developed as a comprehensive intervention that targets WIC staff, WIC caregivers and WIC children.

WORKPLAN GOALS:

• This program is designed to accomplish the following goals for ITCA WIC Staff:
• Improve their personal behaviors related to good nutrition and physical activity;
• Improve their ability to discuss healthy eating and physical activity effectively and skillfully with participants.
• This program is designed to accomplish the following goals with ITCA WIC caregivers:
• Change the focus of nutrition education from the foods and portions served to a feeding relationship approach;
• Improve the caregiver's ability to parent her child during mealtimes through individual counseling sessions and facilitated discussion groups.
• This program is designed to accomplish the following goals for ITCA WIC children:
• Increase their opportunities for physical activity through caregiver education;
• Introduce them to good nutrition and the importance of enjoyable physical activity through group activities in WIC.