Welcome to Healthy Kids Healthy Futures
What kind of future will your child have? Due to the alarming rise of childhood obesity rates, today’s children may be the first generation of Americans whose life expectancy will be shorter than that of their parents. Childhood obesity has doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 20 years. It increases the chance your child will develop…
- Type 2 Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Symptoms of early heart disease
The best way to have a healthy weight is prevention. Be sure your family practices healthy habits from the beginning.
The website features practical information and and tips to help Americans build healthier diets. It features selected messages to help consumer focus on key behaviors. Selected messages include:
- Enjoy your food, but eat less.
- Avoid oversized portions.
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk. (Children under two need to drink whole milk)
- Enjoy your food, but eat less.
- Avoid oversized portions.
- Make at least half your grains whole grains.
- Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals and choose foods with lower numbers.
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
For more tips on how to make healthy nutrition choices for your family, please visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/eat-right/index.htm.
New 2015 - 2020 Dietary Guidelines are Here
Today, about half of all American adults have one or more chronic diseases, often related to poor diet. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes the importance of creating a healthy eating pattern to maintain health and reduce the risk of disease. Everything we eat and drink — the food and beverage choices we make day to day and over our lifetime — matters.
MyPlate offers messages, resources, and tools to help you make the choices that are right for you.
Obesity in Children
Today's children are at high risk for developing many chronic diseases later in life due to obesity and lack of physical activity. These conditions include heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes. Unfortunately, childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Over the last three decades, the number of children that are classified as overweight has almost tripled. Children, ages 2 to 18, spend an average of four hours a day watching television, playing video games or using a computer. Seventeen percent of American children are watching television more than five hours each day. These youth are 8.3 times more likely to be overweight than children who watch television for two hours or less.
Helping Your Overweight Child
Healthy eating and physical activity habits are key to your child’s well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little may lead to overweight and related health problems that may follow children into their adult years. You can take an active role to help your child—and your whole family—learn healthy eating and physical activity habits that last a lifetime. For resources to help your overweight child grow into a healthy weight from the Weight Control Information Network.
AAP Report Finds Kids Need Water, Milk, Juice – Not Sports Drinks
A recent American Academy of Pediatrics report finds that kids don't need energy and sports drinks — and that some of these products contain substances that could be harmful to children. The AAP recommends that youth consume water, low-fat and fat-free milk and juice.
Kids Eat Free
Kids Eat Free in Macomb County at http://www.macombcountykidseatfree.com/
One-stop-shop for insights and advice about early childhood nutrition and physical activity. www.healthykidshealthyfuture.org