By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

District nurse Kathy Strasser waves to a passerby as she walks on Courtland Street in Norwood next to the footprints that make the one-mile walking loop along city streets. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

NORWOOD--At a time when childhood obesity is causing concern nationwide, four schools in Norwood are receiving state gold medals as "Buckeye Best Healthy Schools."

Norwood is the only district in the eight-county Cincinnati area to receive four golds. No other district won more than one.

According to the American Academy of Pediatricians, U.S. childhood obesity rates have doubled in 20 years, with more than 1.5 percent of those ages 6-19 considered obese.

"Research shows that behaviors that lead to poor health outcomes are often established during youth and extend into adulthood," said Kathy Strasser, district nurse for Norwood City Schools.

"The biggest thing with us is that we came together as a group and tried to address a lot of issues," Strasser said. "We're doing little bits and pieces here and there, and I think it's adding up and hopefully will make a difference."

One unique part of Norwood's effort - at all city schools and city hall - are one-mile loops marked off in red painted footprints. It's an easy way for walkers to know when they've walked a mile. The idea for the painted footprints project was inspired by the fact that people don't walk as much as they should.

Norwood Health Commissioner Donna Laake, who serves on the school district's health advisory council, initiated and funded the project, called "Norwood Walks." "People are supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day, but most walk only 3,000," Laake said. "This project is a way of motivating people to get out and exercise."

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, whose office now recommends all people take 10,000 steps a day, the average person actually averages between 900 and 3,000 steps a day. A one-mile walk is about 2,000 steps.

Other components of Norwood's program are tobacco cessation and prevention programs, nutrition education and improving food selection and food offerings in school cafeterias.

"It's all these different components working together to make it a healthier environment for students, faculty and the community," Strasser said.

The four Norwood schools that will receive gold awards Friday from Gov. Bob Taft are:

• Norwood High.

• Norwood Middle.

• Allison Street Elementary.

• Sharpsburg Elementary.

The Buckeye Best Healthy Schools Award program recognizes schools whose policies and practices reflect a high priority on health outcomes for children.

The Buckeye Best program began in 2002 and is part of the Healthy Ohioans program, which began the first half of 2001.

Funding for Buckeye Best is provided by the Ohio Department of Health and through the American Cancer Society.

"We know that we need to change behaviors and that starts at a very young age," said Barbara Hopping, cancer control director for the Hamilton County unit of the American Cancer Society.

"If we can teach kids everything we know about cancer, nutrition, exercise, diet and tobacco prevention, we could eliminate 60 percent of all cancers."

'Buckeye Best'

Blue Ash Elementary, Colerain High School, Glendale Elementary, Winton Woods Middle School, Princeton High School, Harrison Middle School, Turpin High School, Mason High School and McClain High School (Highland County).

Winners from 2002, the program's first year, were: Cheviot Elementary, Heritage Hill Elementary, Charles T. Young Elementary, Hopewell Elementary, Mayfield Elementary, Harrison Middle.

E-mail annag1129@cs.com