A free summer program for children and parents teaches food preparation, home gardening and nutrition.
Vassar Brothers Medical Center in the City of Poughkeepsie, which is part of Health Quest, is hosting Healthy Happenings for children ages 8 to 10.
The program includes interactive lessons on food preparation, cooking, gardening, physical activity, tips for shopping on a budget and nutritional education by registered dietitians, said John Nelson, a spokesman for Health Quest.
Participants meet on three dates: June 21, July 19 and Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon in Conference Room B.
More than a third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2012, both of which pose health risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Obesity has doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents over the past 30 years. This is a very serious issue,” said Roufia Payman, supervisor of outpatient community nutrition and certified dietitian nutritionist at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, which is part of Health Quest.
The program is free, however space is limited.