Childhood Obesity & the Milford Heat Wave

Milford Youth Programs Cancelled

The Milford Recreation Facebook page posted the following message yesterday morning:

Due to the predicted excessive heat and per the instructions of the Milford Health Department, the Summer Playground Program and the Active Kids Program will be cancelled on Wed, 07/18/12. Other programs will be held with modifications. Please check with your respective program instructor for details.

This follows , as well.

Milford Health Director Dr. A. Dennis McBride said that, "Living in New England, we're not acclimated to protect people from the heat." He added that while there was a similar heat wave in 2008, "we haven't had this kind of back to back heat waves."

Obesity in Milford Children

Adding to this issue is the number of Milford children who are overweight and obese. McBride notes that, "When you have a heavier population, you have a heavier [percentage of] type 2 diabetes. The rates of diabetes has increased markedly" for children.

McBride noted that many other children have asthma and other conditions that make them vulnerable to the heat.

A Heat Wave Meeting

At a meeting today between the Health Department, Milford Recreation and Milford Public Schools, plans were started to have cooling stations in the parks program. McBride noted that the schools have agreed to allow students inside the schools to get a drink of water, cool off briefly in a rotation.

The schools are also doing repairs and maintenance during the summer, McBride pointed out.

The Importance of Prevention

McBride noted that prevention is most important in staving off heat exhaustion in children. "By the time they say they're thirsty, they're already dehydrated," McBride pointed out. "Make water available, have them drink when they're not thirsty."