Members of the University faculty recently received about $75,000 in grants for projects involving childhood obesity, a subject of rising concern in Georgia.

Of the four grants distributed by the University System of Georgia for childhood obesity research, three were for projects involving University researchers. The grants were for approximately $25,000 each.

According to a 2009 report by Trust for America’s Health, Georgia has the third-highest number of obese children in the nation.

Michael Schmidt, an associate professor in the kinesiology department, is working on a project that focuses on how a mother’s weight gain during pregnancy can affect her child’s chances for obesity. Schmidt said around 40 percent of women gain more than the suggested 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, and this weight gain can lead to a higher risk of obesity for their children later in life. Through the use of social media, Schmidt hopes to educate pregnant women on healthy habits.

“Research has shown that as far as changing people’s behaviors, social media is very effective,” he said “We’re setting up social media networks to get women encouraged in healthy behaviors.”

Schmidt is collaborating with other University researchers and social media experts at Georgia Southern University to develop an interactive online course for pregnant women. The course will include discussion boards, question and answer pages and knowledge quizzes. Schmidt said the project plans to monitor the women after they give birth to see what effect the program has had on them and their children.

Marsha Davis, another University professor, is working with the University’s Archway Partnership to help introduce healthy habits for parents and children in Colquitt County. Davis’ project will develop initiatives to help the YMCA’s after-school program.

“Colquitt County identified childhood obesity as an issue that they want to deal with in the community,” she said. “It’s a whole community- and University-wide effort.”

The project will work to integrate physical exercise and activities to help teach children how to make healthy diet choices into the YMCA after-school program.

“Besides the after-school program, we want to do other events such as family fun nights,” she said. “We may have booths where parents can learn cooking skills and tips for eating on the run, and also teach physical activities that children and adults can do together.”

Davis said she thinks Michelle Obama’s interest in the childhood obesity issue will help increase the amount of research done.

“I do think there will be more money allocated to the issue because she’s brought heightened awareness to the issue,” Davis said. “Because of the heightened awareness, there is a heightened sensitivity of why we need to do this in our state.”

Bryan McCullick, a kinesiology professor, is working with fellow professor Phillip Tomporowski on a project that targets after-school programs in Clarke County elementary schools.

“We’re trying to design games that are capable of eliciting moderate physical activity, and that also put children in situations where they are cognitively engaged,” McCullick said.

The project will take traditional games — such as tag and ball games — and modify parts of them to make them more mentally stimulating.

McCullick and Tomporowski will teach these games to the elementary school teachers, who will in turn teach them to the children in .

“We’re tweaking games that probably lots of people have played before,” McCullick said. “We’re making them work so that everyone’s got jobs to do, and everyone has to move.”

McCullick said the childhood obesity epidemic in Georgia is a problem.

“It’s something that everyone pays for, and it’s detrimental to the health of the economy,” he said. “We want to teach children not to be afraid of physical activity, but to enjoy it. We really want to make a difference.”