September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month!

At Triad Foot Center, we encourage families to live an active lifestyle and to be as healthy as possible.  This month is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and we are working alongside the YMCA of Greensboro to help families find healthier food and places to be active.  With childhood obesity on the rise, it’s more important than ever to give kids opportunities to increase physical activity and to make good diet choices.

How can you help your kids?  Here are a few tips from Triad Foot Center and the YMCA of Greensboro:

• Eat healthy. Make water the drink of choice.  If another drink is offered, make sure it’s an age-appropriate portion of 100 fruit juice or low/non-fat milk.  Also, make sure that it’s easy for everyone in your family to fill half of their plates with fruits and veggies by offering two or three colorful options.
• Limit snacking. If your kids do need a snack, offer a healthy snack such as an apple, carrots or other nutrient-rich alternative.  Avoid sugary or salty foods like snack cakes or potato chips.
• Play every day. Your kids should have at least an hour per day of exercise.  This can easily be accomplished by simply allowing them to have some unstructured play outside.  Riding a bike, playing a sport, or even playing pretend can all lead to breaking a sweat, which is a must at least three times per week.
• Get together at meal times.  Studies show that a family that eats together is healthier and stronger.  Involve your children in meal prep and clean up whenever appropriate.
• Reduce screen time. Time spent in front of a television, computer, tablet, cell phone or video games should be limited to no more than two hours per day.
• Sleep well. Kids need a regular schedule, including at least 10 hours of sleep per night.  Growing bodies need rest!  Make sure to put your kids to bed at the same time every night to regulate their sleep cycles.
• Get them involved.  Join a club, a team sport or other community organization that gets your kids involved in something active.  The more time that is filled with healthy activities, the less time they spend on the couch.

We hope you will use these tips to help your kids live a healthy lifestyle!

Disclaimer: The information and other content provided in our blogs, videos, or in any other content or linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. For a full disclaimer, please click here.