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Someone is big in the news lately and his name is Connor McCready.

Connor is far from being your average ‘little boy’. He has difficulty washing and dressing himself, misses school regularly and is a perennial target for bullies. While he does have a bike, he has to stop every 10 minutes to vomit. Doctors say that at the very least, he will die nine years earlier than his counterparts and would be likely to suffer from diabetes and hypertension all throughout his adult life. Now, British child welfare officials have been wrestling with the idea of taking him away from his parents.

Connor McCready is going through all of these because at eight years old, he weighs in at 218 pounds—4 times the prescribed weight of a child his age.

Proponents of the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club (DECC) believe that childhood obesity, as illustrated in the case of Connor McCready, should be cause for deep concern. “We urge parents not to be complacent about their children’s health. During the past decade, there has been a 400% increase in the childhood obesity rates in the Philippines. So if you think that this can’t happen to your child, think again, says Prof. Luchie Callanta, the official Nutritionist of the DECC.”

“Parents serve as the gatekeepers of their children’s health which is a grave responsibility,” adds Prof. Callanta” If parents stood firm each time kids refused to eat fruits or vegetables; or if they only exercised a bit more control over their child’s food intake, then obesity like in the case of Connor McCready could have been avoided.” The DECC stands firm in their belief that a child’s long term health should remain paramount.

Too little exercise, too much junk food
The Doña Elena Cuisinera Club (DECC) agrees with health experts who assert that the rise in childhood obesity can be tied to youngsters’ getting too little exercise and eating calorie & fat rich food.

“It’s rare to find children exercising and playing in the streets. Nowadays, you either find them lying on the couch watching cartoons or holed up inside their rooms playing videogames,” observes Prof. Callanta. Physical inactivity among children is further aggravated by the trend among dual-income and single-parent households to get food from fast-food restaurants where most of the offerings are high in calories and fat. “Many parents strapped for time find it more convenient to eat out or buy take-out food instead of preparing a nutritious meal at home,” he adds.

Turning it around
Preventing obesity in children requires helping them increase their physical activity and decrease the number of calories they eat. “It’s pretty straightforward,” says Prof. Callanta. “Children should exercise every day and eat foods high in fiber and low in calories and fat.”

It’s clear that a healthy lifestyle should be put at the forefront; yet most parents and caregivers do not know where to start. Here is where the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club can help. DECC has the aim of turning Filipinos into full-blown Cuisineras –people who champion healthy eating without compromising the taste and quality of the food they prepare.

One of DECC’s top priorities is to advocate the use of [tag]olive oil[/tag] in everyday cooking as one of the easiest yet most effective ways towards a healthier lifestyle. “People have this notion that healthy eating means shunning food altogether; but this isn’t the case. Sometimes it’s just a matter of choosing healthier alternatives. Imagine, compared to regular cooking oils which put families at the risk for hypertension and high LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, the use of olive oil can actually lower ‘”bad” cholesterol levels,” adds Prof. Callanta

Other projects of the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club include the release of the 21 Ways to a Healthier Life book which contains an array of Filipino recipes given a healthier twist and a shortlist of tips toward a healthier lifestyle. In addition, the DECC also plans to hold monthly healthy cooking classes for Cuisineras from all around Metro Manila.

Please feel free to contact our Doña Elena Cuisinera Club Secretariat at 713-8144 and email CuisineraClub@gmail.com.

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