Healthy Eating, Active Lifestyles, Healthy Families

The numbers of overweight children have reached epidemic proportions, and the health of these children is threatened. Approximately one in five children and one in three teens in the U.S. are either overweight or at risk of becoming over-weight. Studies show that 60 percent of overweight children have at least one risk factor, and 20 percent have two or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

No one single factor can be blamed for this epidemic. Instead, many lifestyle habits and environmental factors contri-bute to the problem, including poor dietary habits. Many children’s diets are too high in fat and calories and too low in fiber, fruits and vegetables, not unlike the diets of their parents. The increase in the portion size of foods and beverages as well as the increase in the availability of inexpensive high fat and high calorie food items doesn’t help either. Add this to reduced physical activity due to time spent watching television and playing computer video games and the problems and pounds add up.

What can parents and families do?

“The goal is to be active as a family, serve healthy meals and, whenever possible, eat together as a family,” says Dr. Carolyn Dunn, nutrition specialist with N.C. Cooperative Extension.

If you are concerned about your child’s weight, work with your health professional to determine whether your child is overweight and to guide you in helping your child reach a healthy weight goal. Remember, it takes time and effort to make healthy eating and physical activity part of your family’s daily routine.

Family Guide to Better Health

• The parent’s job is to provide nutritious, well-balanced meals, to keep healthy foods and beverages in the house and to set a good example. The child’s job is to control how much he eats by responding to internal cues of hunger and fullness.
• Establish a routine. Schedule meals and snacks. Avoid casual snacking.
• Serve portion sizes appropriate to a family member’s age and activity level. Begin with small portions and provide the opportunity for more.
• Help children learn to eat slowly, enjoy food and stop eating when satisfied. Don’t force them to “clean their plate.”
• Refrain from using food as a reward. Help children learn to eat for nourishment and satisfaction.
• Limit the purchase and consumption of high calorie, low nutrient, sugar-sweetened beverages. Serve water, fat-free or 1% milk and 100% juice. Whole milk is recommended for children up to 2 years of age.
• Prepare and eat meals at home. Eat together and turn off the television during mealtime.
• Make it a family priority to be active together. Children should accumulate an hour of physical activity every day. Walk, run and play with your children; don’t just sit on the sidelines.
• Monitor and limit screen time to 1 to 2 hours a day. Do not have a TV in a child’s bedroom; instead, locate the TV in an out-of-the-way location so watching does not dominate the activity in the home.

Parents, teachers and community members can serve as positive role models by providing day-by-day guidance in helping our children develop healthy habits at home, in school and in the community. Cooperative Extension is helping address the childhood overweight issue across the state by offering “Color Me Healthy,” a program designed to teach childcare providers to help children develop positive behaviors with respect to nutrition and physical activity. To learn more contact your county Cooperative Extension Center.

Healthy Snacks, Healthier Kids

• Fresh fruits
• Low-fat cheese with low-fat crackers
• Applesauce
• Cereal with non-fat or 1% milk
• Raw vegetables with low-fat dip
• Graham crackers, vanilla wafers
• 1% or less chocolate milk