Cardiac rehab nurse Kay Marshall, R.N., was at a children’s health seminar in Louisville when she decided to do something to help children in our area. She has spent 18 months developing a program for overweight youths in our area.

“Childhood obesity is a growing problem,” said Marshall. “As a nurse, I have a real passion for promoting health awareness, especially in young people.”

Marshall teamed with Hendron Lone Oak Elementary (HLOE) and the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) to bring The CARDIAC Project to Paducah. The CARDIAC Project is a chronic disease risk surveillance and intervention initiative designed to combat the unacceptably high prevalence of heart disease and diabetes.

Volunteers from Western Baptist and AHEC gave health screenings to HLOE fourth graders, including cholesterol and blood sugar, body mass index (BMI), height and weight, and the Harvard fitness test. Baseline results were recorded for each child and will be re-evaluated at the end of the school year.

Out of the entire fourth grade class, the 15 most “at risk” students were identified for a 10-week interventional program. Marshall meets with the children three times a week, focusing on physical activity, nutritional classes and behavior modification.

“The goal is to help children make healthy choices about nutrition and exercise,” said Marshall, “and teach them to love physical activity. Education is a big part of the program. Once the children realize the importance of staying healthy, it becomes contagious.”

The children will be re-evaluated throughout the program. A concluding ceremony is planned for the end of the school year.