LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Brings Science-Backed Childhood Obesity Prevention Into 32 Louisiana Schools, Preschools

Baton Rouge, LA, March 27, 2025 --(PR.com)-- Designed to reach children in the environments they know best—both at home and at school—Greaux Healthy delivers a broad range of resources to parents, teachers, physicians, and others. So far, 21 elementary schools and 11 early childhood education centers across the state have chosen to implement the program.

Louisiana ranks third in the nation for childhood obesity. As a result, the youngest generation of Louisianans is the first—ever—to have a lower life expectancy than their parents.

But now, research is leading to action. A 2016 research study that showed how Louisiana preschoolers prefer to eat vegetables they’ve seen other kids eat—even on video—has become a program where schools serve a wider variety of vegetables from their own gardens. Another Pennington Biomedical study from 2023 showed how painted playgrounds can increase movement and improve motor skills, and this has since become an inexpensive environmental intervention in preschools. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of similar examples.

“Greaux Healthy is focused on the nutrition as well as the active part, which is what I like,” said Anderson Briggs, a physical education teacher at Glen Oaks Park Elementary in East Baton Rouge Parish who wanted to be among the first to implement the new program based on the needs he saw in his own school and community. “Now, we do relay races where the kids run 30 yards into the field to get one item from each of the five food groups and bring it back to create a balanced plate. It’s a cognitive and physical challenge, and that’s the activity that sold me on Greaux Healthy—just seeing how easy it would be to implement in our school.”

Along their walls and halls, Briggs and his students point to Greaux Healthy posters that support the new lesson plans. One reminds everyone to stand up and move around after sitting for 30 minutes. Another is a big bingo card with things kids can do or consume, like stretching and eating broccoli.

“You do every item to get bingo, and the kids want to do it,” Briggs said. “That’s why I’d like to see our involvement with Greaux Healthy grow even bigger, and I’d personally like to be the district spokesperson, and speak to other school districts to encourage them to try this program based on the results we’ve seen, even in the short amount of time we’ve had Greaux Healthy.”

On the opposite side of Louisiana, at Midway Elementary in Caddo Parish, lead content teacher Twandolyn Alexander is seeing students’ approach to food and exercise start to shift six months into the program.

Alexander sees lessons learned at school reaching students’ families at home, too. Greaux Healthy provides Home Connections, monthly newsletters for parents, showing them what their child is learning at school and encouraging continued learning at home.

“I see our students helping their families along the way,” she said. “Doing activities at home and getting exercise even if they’re not able to go to the gym or go outside and don’t have equipment. They can still exercise and be safe and understand the importance of not just PE, but exercise as part of life.”
Carmonesia Hill, physical education teacher at Progress Elementary School in Scotlandville, north of Baton Rouge, said Greaux Healthy is adding to her school’s efforts to get students to eat better and move more.

“Everything we recommend, there is science and evidence behind it. Greaux Healthy is about identifying as much opportunity as we can in our research and giving it all back to our state and communities. It’s about translating what works to the people who need it most” said Melissa Martin, registered dietitian and director of Greaux Healthy.

So far, Pennington Biomedical’s Greaux Healthy program for early childhood education has been implemented at 10 centers in East Baton Rouge (Country Day with three locations: North Boulevard, Congress Boulevard, and Silverside; Robyn’s Nest; Southside Child Development Center; Baton Rouge Christian Academy; Second Baptist Christian Academy; YWCA Early Learning Center Capitol Elementary; New Horizon Head Start; and Young Scholars Academy) and one in Tangipahoa Parish (Noah’s Ark).

The program for elementary and middle schools has been implemented in 15 schools in East Baton Rouge (Baker Heights, Baton Rouge Ochsner Discovery, Brownfields, Cedarcrest-Southmoor, Claiborne, Glen Oaks Park, Highland, La Belle Aire, Merrydale, Northeast, Prescott, Progress, Sharon Hills, Southern University Lab School, and Zachary), four in Caddo Parish (Creswell, Judson Magnet, Midway, Westwood), one in Lafayette Parish (Willow Charter Academy), and one in Rapides Parish (Poland Jr. High).

Additional programs for new parents, families, communities, healthcare providers, and teens are in development. Pennington Biomedical and Greaux Healthy also recently announced a new, downloadable Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Toolkit for medical professionals.