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Candice Madsen reportingIf you know a "Smart Woman" or if you think you have an interesting Smart Woman topic, you can contact Candice at cmadsen@ksl.com.
A Utah mom is on a mission to combat childhood obesity, and she's found a unique and easy way to help families get started. She's today's Smart Woman.
Almost a quarter of elementary school students in Utah are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Kim Walter-Kincher wants to change that. "I wanted to find some simple tools to help people get back to healthier living, healthier choices," she said.
With help from several pediatricians, she created healthy diet charts for the whole family. "Let's say that they had a half a cup of apple sauce. Then you would mark it off," Kim explained.
The idea is simple: Everyone in the family gets their own chart to track what they're eating and what they should be eating. "Children are very visual and they need to have the ability to look and see, ‘What did I eat?" she said.
Kim says a lot of times parents don't realize just how much junk food their family is eating. "I've had so many people tell me, 'This was an eye opener, just to know that I am eating so many things that aren't really required,'" she said.
Parents are also encouraged to come up with a nonfood reward if their children stick to their chart, or at least have a positive attitude about it.
Kim has also created an outreach program online to give children a little more motivation. Each Healthy Diet Chart completed by a child and signed by a parent and physician, will send a special donation to the child's chosen "teammate" in a developing country. "A lot of times we need a higher purpose than, ‘It's about me,'" Kim said.
Kim believes that once children fully understand the impact of their eating habits they'll make healthier choices, and getting the whole family involved helps everyone stay on track.
The Healthy World Diet charts will soon be available at Harmon's grocery stores. You can also order and download them online. Just click the related link.
