Parents Can Keep Kids Healthy: Booklet in English or Spanish

Format: Brochure
Institute: National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

In just 30 years, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled among children aged 2 to 5 years and adolescents aged 12 to 19, and has more than tripled among youth aged 6 to 11. We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a national program designed to encourage improved nutritional choices, increased physical activity, and reduced television time in youth aged 8 to 13.

The NHLBI, NIDDK, NICHD, and NCI are partnering to share resources and are promoting the We Can! campaign as a means to slow the increasing rates of overweight and obesity among children.

The program offers a practical handbook for parents and caregivers who want tools to help children aged 8 to 13 years stay at a healthy weight. We Can! Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook provides tips to help families eat well and stay physically active to maintain a healthy weight. The handbook is available in English and Spanish. Additionally, the We Can! Energize our Community: Tool Kit for Action provides community planners with a wealth of planning tools, reproducible materials, and curricula, with dynamic activities for parents to encourage a healthy weight in their families.

Next Steps
Find out more about We Can! by visiting http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or by calling 1-866-35-WECAN (toll-free).

To download a copy of the Parent Handbook in English, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan_mats/parent_hb_en.htm. For the Spanish version, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan_mats/parent_hb_sp.htm. The Tool Kit is available at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan_mats/toolkit.htm.

You can also order your free copy of either edition by calling the NHLBI Health Information Center at 301-592-8573 (TTY 240-629-3255).