Questing for kids' health

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of health and education professionals

to encourage healthy young people.

Health care professionals, universities and several Upstate schools are joining forces to improve children's health. The ZestQuest program is a unique collaboration that will increase health awareness among young people and provide mentors to those who need extra help.

Data collection kiosks — known as ZestQuest Stations — recently were placed in each of the six Upstate schools participating. The interactive stations, which look similar to video games, will try to get kids exercising regularly, eating better and adopting healthier habits. The stations will provide a report card on how participants are progressing in the program.

Children who need particular attention will be screened by local hospitals. The screenings will help identify children at risk of developing obesity-related illness, including hypertension and juvenile diabetes.

Some of those students may qualify for health mentoring by local college students from six participating universities — University of South Carolina-Spartanburg, Furman University, Wofford College, Converse College, Clemson University and North Greenville College.

Endowed by Jim Anthony of the Cliffs Communities, ZestQuest has assembled an impressive group of participants. The program also will utilize the talents of health-care professionals at the Greenville Hospital System, Palmetto Health Baptist in Easley and the Mary Black Health System in Spartanburg.

The participating schools are Alexander Elementary and Mauldin Middle in Greenville County; Dacusville Middle in Pickens County; and Inman Elementary, Cowpens Middle and D.R. Hill Middle in Spartanburg County.

Projects such as ZestQuest certainly are worthwhile at a time when obesity among children is at a record level. Nationally, in the past 20 years, childhood obesity has doubled. About 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight.

Childhood obesity not only causes health problems for young people but often leads later in life to life-shortening troubles such as diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses.

Organizers of ZestQuest hope the program might be used as a model in other parts of the nation. The program certainly seems an ideal partnership of health and education professionals seeking to improve the lives of Upstate young people. It will be exciting to follow ZestQuest's progress.