Child Care Providers Can Be Part of Solution for Childhood Obesity

But they won't and, really, they should not be.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys revealed that over 21% of children 2 to 5 years old were considered overweight or obese. Child care settings can serve as a platform to teach children about nutrition in our fight against childhood obesity, as nearly 50% of children in the United States under age 5 are enrolled in child care. In a new study released in the November/December 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, training child care providers about their role in children's healthful eating is an essential component of child care-based obesity prevention initiatives.

No matter how kids are fed while in the care of a non-parent, the parents still have to know how to prevent their kids from overconsuming Calories while they are at home.

Another way to shift responsibility from the parents to others and expose these others to potential liability.