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Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative

Surgeon General's Pledge and Checklists

Parents and Other Caregivers Checklist

Research shows that parents are often their children’s most important role model. Children who see parents enjoying healthy foods and being physically active are more likely to do the same.

Help kids stay active.

  • Put an hour of physical activity into your child’s day.
  • Limit TV and other screen time to less than two hours per day.

Encourage healthy eating habits.

  • Shop, cook, and plan for healthy meals.
  • Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast everyday.
  • Sit at the table and eat together as a family.
  • Know how much food to serve your child.

Promote healthy choices.

  • Make sure your child gets enough sleep each night.
  • Help your child understand why you are making these changes.


Help kids stay active.

Put an hour of physical activity into your child’s day.

Just like eating and sleeping, physical activity should be a regular part of a child’s day. Add physical activity to your own daily habits and invite your child to join you. Guidelines suggest that school-age youth should participate in 60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Plan fun family activities that give everyone exercise. It does not have to be 60 minutes all at once, but can be different activities that add up to an hour’s time.

Limit TV and other screen time to less than two hours per day.

As a parent or caregiver, you set the rules that include when and how long your children can watch TV and DVDs and play video games. Limit the time to less than two hours per day that you and your family do these things. To help— keep televisions out of children’s rooms.

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Encourage healthy eating habits.

Shop, cook and plan for healthy meals.

Use a menu planner for healthy meals all week. Buy healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. Read the nutrition facts label on packages to help you to make healthful choices. Make sure children have three healthy meals each day. Give children fat-free or low fat milk instead of soft drinks. Encourage children to drink water instead of sweet drinks. Limit the amount of sugar and saturated fat they eat.

Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast everyday.

A healthy breakfast is a good way to start the day, and it may help people get to and stay at a healthy weight. Instead of sugared cereals, try eating whole-grain cereal with low-fat or fat-free milk, oatmeal, whole-grain toast, or a hard-boiled egg and a piece of fruit.

Sit at the table and eat together as a family.

Research shows that when a family eats together, children eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer fried and junk foods. Plan and make healthy, affordable, family meals. Keep the television off and sit at the table and enjoy talking together.

Know how much food to serve your child.

Larger portions (servings) lead to more food being eaten. Know when servings are larger than needed and teach your children to eat only what they need at each meal. The more you know about serving sizes, the more you will be able to help your child learn to serve themselves a healthy amount of food.

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Promote Healthy Choices.

Make sure your child gets enough sleep each night.

Less sleep can increase a child’s risk of being overweight or obese. A recent study found that with each extra hour of sleep, the risk of a child’s being overweight or obese dropped by 9 percent. Most children under age 5 need to sleep for 11 hours or more per day, children age 5 to 10 need 10 hours of sleep or more per day, and children over age 10 need at least 9 hours per day.

Help your child understand why you and the whole family are making these changes.

Children need support and encouragement from their parents. This is really important when things are changing, even when the changes are for their health. Children may see the loss of favorite snacks, or changes in TV watching, as punishment. Make sure that they know that the whole family is making these changes together. Let them play a part in these changes whenever you can by helping to shop for healthy foods, preparing meals, setting the table, and being a part of family talk at mealtimes. Let them choose and lead family activities, and let them be the “coach.” Remember that change can be a source of stress. Knowing that you love them is their source of strength.

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Last revised: May 14, 2008