There is evidence to suggest that childhood obesity and day care. The Oregon obesity task force is calling for the state Legislature to consider enacting nutrition and physical activity guidelines for children enrolled in day care, the Portland Oregonian reports. Oregon law stipulates that children have to have some form of exercise, but not how much exercise the children should receive. (Parker, Portland Oregonian, 1/5/09).
Of the nation’s 21 million preschool children, 13 million spend a substantial part of their day in child care facilities.
There has been a large change in how people rely on day care in the last three decades. Changes in the basic family structure, demographics, gender roles and the need for economic security has made day care more important. Along with mandatory work requirements for under the 1996 welfare reform act have increased the number of low-income parents in need of child care.
Approximately 80 percent of children under the age of five with working mothers are in some form of child care for an average of forty hours a week.
A poor diet is considered to be a major contributor, together with little physical activity to the problem of obesity in children. To stop the trend children should have access to healthy food. Most of the children in the U.S. do not meet the dietary guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Mary Story, Karen M. Kaphingst, and Simone French (SPRING 2006) The Role of Child Care Settings in Obesity Prevention VOL. 16. 16 / NO. 1 Retrieved June 13, 2009
http://www.futureofchildren.org/usr_doc/07_5562_story-care.pdf
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For the most part I have had good experiences with daycares and their nutritional programs. Now the get up and go activities vary from place to place. Bigger facilities usually have a pretty good exsercise regiments as far as playing outside and walks etc... I think it depends on the facility size and type.
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