September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
As a leading community-based organization dedicated to improving health, the Gateway Region YMCA offers the following tips to help families incorporate healthy eating and regular physical activity into their lives.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of obesity affects about 14.7 million, or one in five U.S. children and adolescents. Obesity can increase risk for health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and some cancers.
The Gateway Region YMCA is helping families improve their health and help youth grow up at a healthy weight by offering youth sports for all ages and skill levels, swim lessons, and plenty of family programs (including Youth Fitness Orientations, Kids Night Out, and more).
While outside support is key, developing healthy habits begins at home. The following tips are some great ways to incorporate healthier eating habits and more physical activity and into your daily family routine:
1. Eat & Drink Healthy
Make water the drink of choice and encourage everyone to fill half their plates with fruits and vegetables by offering two or three colorful options at every meal. As a family, choose a new fruit and veggie every week to taste together. Place a full pitcher of water on the table during meals and allow children to pour their own water. Keep full water bottles available in the car and back packs.
Click below to watch a fun, family-centered nutrition workshop with Reshaunda Thornton (a St. Louis author, wellness public speaker, Registered Dietitian & nutrition expert)! Kids and Kabobs features two kabob recipes and one fun and healthy beverage recipe where BOTH parents and children can participate in creating this fun, healthy, and simple meal at home.
2. Play Every Day/Go Outside
Children should have at least an hour a day of unstructured play outside (when possible) and break a sweat at least three times a week by getting 20 minutes or more of vigorous physical activity. Join your children in games that get your hearts pumping and bodies moving.
3. Get Together
Eat as a family as frequently as possible. Involve kids in meal planning, preparation, and clean up. In addition, adults should take a break from electronics and spend one-to-one time each day with their kids, enjoying one another’s company.
4. Reduce Recreational Screen Time
Time spent in front of a television, computer, tablet, cell phone or video games should be limited to two hours or less per day. Make a family plan to reduce screen time at home (i.e. turn off screens during meals, charge electronics/screens in the kitchen overnight, go for a walk after a meal, set a timer to remind you to power down the screen).
5. Sleep Well
Kids and adults need to keep a regular sleep schedule; unwind together in the evenings by reading a book or listening to soft music to ensure the body is preparing for sleep. Kids are growing and need 10-12 hours of healthy sleep per night and seven to eight hours for adults.
This Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, we challenge you to develop healthy habits in your kids by implementing some of these at-home tips and browsing some of the youth and family programs that the Gateway Region YMCA offers.