Health Highlights: Feb. 27, 2014

Health Highlights: Feb. 27, 2014

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Major Chain of Child Care Centers Adopts First Lady’s Guidelines

The second biggest chain of for-profit child care centers says it will follow Michelle Obama’s healthy eating and activity guidelines for children.

According to the Associated Press, Novi, Mich.-based The Learning Care Group says changes to its 900 centers around the country include eliminating fried foods, serving fruits and/or vegetables at each mealtime, using water or low-fat milk instead of sugary drinks, cutting children’s TV and computer time, and providing kids with at least 1 hour of daily physical activity.

Women who want to provide the centers with breast milk to feed their children will also be allowed to do so, The Learning Care Group said.

The company provides early education and child care to more than 100,000 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 13 years, the AP said. Centers operate under the brand names of Childtime Learning Centers, Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers, The Children’s Courtyard, Montessori Unlimited and La Petite Academy.

Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, aimed at reducing child obesity, includes healthy eating and activity guidelines for child care centers as part of its program. According to “Let’s Move” executive director Sam Kass, over 13,000 centers nationwide now follow the guidelines.