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Eating well and being physically
active are key to your child’s well-being. Eating
too much and exercising too little can lead to
overweight and related health problems that can
follow children into their adult years. You can
take an active role in helping your child—and your
whole family—learn healthy eating and physical
activity habits.
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All children benefit from healthy
eating and physical activity. A balanced diet and
being physically active help children:
- Grow.
- Learn.
- Build strong bones and muscles.
- Have energy.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid obesity-related diseases like type 2
diabetes.
- Get plenty of nutrients.
- Feel good about themselves.
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How are my child’s eating
and activity habits formed?
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Parents play a big role in shaping
children’s eating habits. When parents eat a
variety of foods that are low in fat and sugar and
high in fiber, children learn to like these foods
as well. It may take 10 or more tries before a
child accepts a new food, so do not give up if your
child does not like a new food right away.
Parents have an effect on
children’s physical activity habits as well. You
can set a good example by going for a walk or bike
ride after dinner instead of watching TV. Playing
ball or jumping rope with your children shows them
that being active is fun.
With many parents working outside
the home, child care providers also help shape
children’s eating and activity habits. Make sure
your child care provider offers well-balanced meals
and snacks, as well as plenty of active play
time.
If your child is in school, find
out more about the school’s breakfast and lunch
programs and ask to have input into menu choices,
or help your child pack a lunch that includes a
variety of foods. Get involved in the
parent-teacher association—PTA—to support
physical education and after-school
sports.
Your child’s friends and the media
can also affect his or her eating and activity
choices. Children may go to fast food places or
play video games with their friends instead of
playing tag, basketball, or other active games. TV
commercials try to persuade kids to choose high-fat
snacks and high-sugar drinks and cereals. When
parents help their children be aware of peer and
media pressures, youngsters are more likely to make
healthy choices outside the home.
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What should my child
eat?
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Just like adults, children need to eat a
wide variety of foods for good health.
In January 2005, the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS) and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) jointly released the 2005
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These
new guidelines outline recommendations to promote
health and reduce the risk of chronic disease
through nutritious eating and physical
activity.
The new guidelines encourage Americans over 2
years of age to eat a variety of nutrient-dense
foods. Recommended items include fruits,
vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk
products, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs,
nuts, and whole grains. The guidelines also
recommend a diet low in saturated fats, trans fats,
cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
*For more information about
recommended daily intakes from various food groups,
visit www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
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Sources of Calcium
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Calcium helps build strong bones
and teeth. Milk and milk products are great sources
of calcium. If your child cannot digest milk or if
you choose not to serve milk products, there are
other ways to make sure he or she gets enough
calcium.
- Serve calcium-rich vegetables like broccoli,
mustard greens, kale, collard greens, and
brussels sprouts.
- Include high-calcium beans like great
northern beans, black turtle beans, navy beans,
and baked beans in casseroles and salads.
- Try calcium-enriched soy- and rice-based
drinks. Serve chilled, use in place of cow’s milk
in your favorite recipes, or add to hot or cold
cereals.
- Serve lactose-reduced or lactose-free dairy
products like low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt,
and ice cream. (Lactose is the sugar in milk and
foods made with milk. People who cannot digest
lactose often have stomach pain and bloating when
they drink milk.)
- Try low-fat yogurt or cheese in small
amounts—they may be easier to digest than
milk.
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How can I help my child eat
better?
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- Give your child a snack or two in addition to
his or her three daily meals.
- Offer your child a wide variety of foods,
such as grains, vegetables and fruits, low-fat
dairy products, and lean meat or beans.
- Serve snacks like dried fruit, low-fat
yogurt, and air-popped popcorn.
- Let your child decide whether and how much to
eat. Keep serving new foods even if your child
does not eat them at first.
- Cook with less fat—bake, roast, or poach
foods instead of frying.
- Limit the amount of added sugar in your child’s diet. Choose cereals with low or no added
sugar. Serve water or low-fat milk more often
than sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit-flavored
drinks.
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt.
Keep the salt shaker off the table. Have fruits
and vegetables on hand for snacks instead of
salty snack foods.
- Involve your child in planning and preparing
meals. Children may be more willing to eat the
dishes they help fix.
- Have family meals together and serve everyone
the same thing.
- Do not be too strict. In small amounts,
sweets or food from fast-food restaurants can
still have a place in a healthy diet.
- Make sure your child eats breakfast.
Breakfast provides children with the energy they
need to listen and learn in school.
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Simple Snack Ideas*
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- Dried fruit and nut mix
- Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit
served plain or with low-fat yogurt
- Rice cakes, whole-grain crackers, or whole-grain bread served with low-fat cheese, fruit
spread, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy nut
butter
- Pretzels or air-popped popcorn sprinkled with
salt-free seasoning mix
- Homemade fruit smoothie made with low-fat
milk or yogurt and frozen or fresh fruit
- Dry cereals served plain or with low-fat or
fat-free milk
*Children
of preschool age and younger can easily choke on
foods that are hard to chew, small and round, or
sticky, such as hard vegetables, whole grapes, hard
chunks of cheese, raisins, nuts and seeds, and
popcorn. Carefully select snacks for children in
this age group.
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What about physical
activity?
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Like adults, children should be
physically active most, if not all, days of the
week. Experts suggest at least 60 minutes of
moderate physical activity daily for most children.
Walking fast, bicycling, jumping rope, dancing
fast, and playing basketball are all good ways for
your child to be active.
As children spend more time
watching TV and playing computer and video games,
they spend less time being active. Parents play a
big role in helping kids get up and get moving.
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How can I help my child be more
active?
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- Be a role model for your children. If they
see you being physically active and having fun,
they are more likely to be active and stay active
throughout their lives.
- Involve the whole family in activities like
hiking, biking, dancing, basketball, or roller
skating.
- Focus on fun. You can do a lot of walking
during trips to the zoo, park, or miniature-golf
course.
- Include children in household activities like
dog-walking, car-washing, or lawn-mowing.
- Limit your children’s TV and computer time.
Offer them active options, like joining a local
recreation center or after-school program, or
taking lessons in a sport they enjoy.
- Encourage your child to be physically active
every day.
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What if my child is
overweight?
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Children who are overweight are
more likely to become overweight adults. They may
develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart
disease, and other illnesses that can follow them
into adulthood. Overweight in children can also
lead to stress, sadness, and low self-esteem.
Because children grow at different rates at different times, it is not always easy to tell if a child is overweight. For example, it is normal for boys to have a growth spurt in weight and catch up in height later. Your health care provider can measure your child’s height and weight
and tell you if your child is in a healthy range
for his or her gender and age. If your provider
finds that your child is overweight, you can
help.
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- Do not put your child on a
weight-loss diet unless your health care
provider tells you to. Limiting what children
eat may interfere with their growth.
- Involve the whole family in
building healthy eating and physical activity
habits. It benefits everyone and does not
single out the child who is overweight.
- Accept and love your child at
any weight. It will boost his or her
self-esteem.
- Help your child find ways other
than food to handle setbacks or successes.
- Talk with your health care provider if you are concerned about your child’s eating habits or weight.
Remember, you play the biggest role in your child’s life. You can help your children
learn healthy eating and physical activity habits
that they can follow for the rest of their
lives.
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Tips for Parents
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- Make sure your child eats breakfast.
Breakfast provides children with the energy they
need to listen and learn in school.
- Offer your child a wide variety
of foods, such as grains, vegetables and
fruits, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats
or beans.
- Talk to your health care provider if you are concerned about your child’s eating habits or weight.
- Cook with less fat—bake,
roast, or poach foods instead of frying.
- Limit the amount of added sugar in your child’s diet. Serve water or low-fat milk more
often than sugar-sweetened sodas and
fruit-flavored drinks.
- Involve your child in planning
and preparing meals. Children may be more
willing to eat the dishes they help fix.
- Be a role model for your children. If they
see you being physically active and having fun,
they are more likely to be active and stay active
throughout their lives.
- Encourage your child to be active
every day.
- Involve the whole family in
activities like hiking, biking, dancing,
basketball, or roller skating.
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Additional Reading
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Dietary Guidelines for
Americans. USDA and DHHS,
2005. www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
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Childhood Resources
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The American Academy of
Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Boulevard
Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098
Phone: (847) 434-4000 or 1-888-227-1770
Internet: www.aap.org/parents.html
The American Dietetic
Association
120 South Riverside Plaza
Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
Toll-free number: 1-800-877-1600
Internet: www.eatright.org
Food and Nutrition Information
Center
USDA
Agricultural Research Service
National Agricultural Library
Room 105
10301 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
Phone: (301) 504-5719
Internet: www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
International Food Information
Council
1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 430
Washington, DC 20036-4120
Phone: (202) 296-6540
Internet:
http://ific.org
The National Network for Child
Care
Internet: www.nncc.org
President’s Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports
Department W
2000 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 738-H
Washington, DC 20201-0004
Phone: (202) 690-9000
Internet: www.fitness.gov
WeCan! Ways to Enhance
Children’s Activity and Nutrition
Toll-free number: 1-866-359-3226
Internet: wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov
Weight-control Information
Network
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Phone: (202) 828-1025
FAX: (202) 828-1028
Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627
Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov
Inclusion of
resources is for information only and does not
imply endorsement by NIDDK or WIN.
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Weight-control
Information Network
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Phone: (202) 828-1025
FAX: (202) 828-1028
Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627
Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is
a national information service of the National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the
National Institutes of Health, which is the Federal
Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical
research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by
Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the
general public, health professionals, the media,
and Congress with up-to-date, science-based health
information on weight control, obesity, physical
activity, and related nutritional issues.
Publications produced by WIN are
reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside
experts. This publication was also reviewed by
Lisa Kelly, M.P.H., R.D., International Food Information
Council.
This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages users of this brochure to
duplicate and distribute as many copies as
desired.
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
NIH Publication No. 04-4955
March 2004
Updated January 2007
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