Childhood Obesity
According to an article published in the National Library of Medicine, childhood and adolescent obesity have reached epidemic levels in the United States. Currently, about 17% of US children are presenting with obesity. This alarming statistic comes with the warning that childhood obesity can lead to unhealthy patterns young people carry with them throughout their lives. Parents and caregivers can help children maintain a healthy weight by following MyPlate guidelines and tips found on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. Here you can access MyPlate Plan which can help families understand what and how much children one and over should be eating from designated food groups over the course of a day. MyPlate Plans are available in multiple languages and have been culturally adapted to reflect foods from ten distinct cultures.
Drinks Count Too
“The average 4-5 year old child consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day – which amounts to 65 pounds of added sugar a year. The majority of a child’s added sugar intake comes from fruit drinks, high-fat desserts, soft drinks and candy” (FIRST 5). Follow Potter the Otter for helpful tips on healthy eating and staying active. Parents and caregivers can help by reducing the number of sugary drinks offered, modeling healthy drink choices, and providing water first for thirst.
Physical Activity and Screen Time
Physical Activity also plays a significant role in children’s health. According to the CDC, “physical activity is good for children in many ways. Benefits include improved academic performance, brain health, muscular fitness, heart, and lung health, cardiometabolic health, long-term health, bone strength, and measures of healthy weight.
Children need 60 minutes of activity each day. The Move Your Way website offers suggestions for adults and children including an activity slider to keep you on track. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “a combination of high screen time (hours per day) and low physical activity (step count per day) was associated with overweight and obesity.” Looking for more fun ways to get your kid moving? Use the chart below from the American Heart Association to try a new activity with your child each day.
Family Meals are More Than Good Nutrition
Did you know eating as a family can improve your health? The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University says that the more often children eat dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use illicit drugs. The center compared teens who dined with families five or seven times a week with those who did so twice or less. Those who ate together more often were four times less likely to smoke, 2.5 times less likely to use marijuana, and half as likely to drink alcohol.
Are You Raising a Healthy, Active Child?
Take the interactive quiz and get tips from The American Academy of Pediatrics. Access the quiz through the healthychildren.org website.
Author: Heather Reister, Extension Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Butler County
Reviewer: Dan Remley, Associate Professor, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition, and Wellness, Ohio State University