A group of pre-schoolers, their parents and teachers descended on the Smith Playground in Fairmount Park recently for a day of fun and learning hosted by some older members of their community. The children got healthy snacks, got moving and got to play to their hearts content.

The event was part of a new program at Temple’s Intergenerational Center called Five & Fit, which places adults age 50 and over in volunteer roles in an effort to change behaviors of parents, family members and caregivers that relate to the prevention of childhood obesity.

“In the communities we work with — mainly African-American and Latino — wisdom from elders is held in very high esteem,” said Yvonne Thompson-Friend, program coordinator for Five & Fit. “We heard from many parents, many of whom are young mothers, that they didn’t know how to cook or shop for healthy foods. The older adults act as a kind of surrogate grandparent, drawing on their own experience raising children to provide valuable tips for young parents on how to encourage children to eat healthy and get active.”

Five & Fit volunteer Arnetha Barnes says the program not only helps the children, but the older adults as well.

“I’m a retiree, and sitting at home didn’t really appeal to me,” she said. “I wanted to do something constructive that would help out the community, and we’ve been having a great time with the kids.”

Early childhood educators, volunteers and parents come together to combat childhood obesity in three ways: to learn about behaviors associated with healthy living, including nutrition, exercise and the importance of routines; to employ activities such as gardening, farmer’s markets and active play that will result in behavioral changes both at school and at home; and to gain more advocates for increasing the access to healthy foods and play spaces within the community.

“By mobilizing older adults to influence the circle of caregivers that surround young children, it becomes a win-win situation for all,” said Andrea Taylor, director of the program. “We reach young children during this very narrow window that shapes their relationship with food for the rest of their lives, and older participants have the opportunity to change the trajectory of young people within their community.”

Taylor says that thus far, the results have been promising. “The program is about a year into practice at this point, and parents are already telling us that their children are requesting more fruits and veggies at home, where parents were never able to get their children to eat them before,” she said.

Nilsa Gilnes has experienced it first-hand. She said her three-year-old son is eating many more fruits and vegetables since getting involved Five & Fit.

“The program is awesome,” she said. “He’s learning so much about how eating healthy foods make you feel better.”

Taylor says the early childhood educators have been incorporating more information about healthy eating into their curriculum, but have also made sure that it includes more physical activity — to help the kids get their recommended 60 or more minutes of physical activity each day.

Research suggests that early childhood (ages 2-5) is the optimal time for shaping a child’s attitude toward healthy food choices, yet rates of overweight among this group has more than doubled over the past 30 years.

The premise of Five & Fit is based on research done by Temple Professor of Public Health and Pediatrics Robert Whitaker that has shown that behavioral changes, particularly among pre-schoolers, have been effective in weight management. Earlier this year, he authored a study which found that children who had a consistent bed-time, watched less TV and ate dinner as a family were less likely to become obese later.

The program is in its pilot stages, currently operating at two early education centers in Philadelphia, but the end goal is to expand across the city and eventually replicate Five & Fit in cities across the country.

“Every parent wants to do right by their children, they just might not know how,” said Taylor. “The success we’re seeing is coming from the relationships forged between parents and older volunteers in Five & Fit.”

Funding for Five & Fit is provided by The Deerbrook Charitable Trust.