U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Indian Health Service: The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives
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 HEALTHY WEIGHT FOR LIFE
Home What Is a Healthy Weight? Trends and Impact Personal Success Story Successful Approaches Across the Lifespan Actions for Providers Action Guides Resources Link to Us Become a Partner
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Let's Move!

Across the Lifespan

The best approach to promoting healthy weight is to develop a strategy that begins with conception of the fetus and includes interventions throughout the lifespan to promote lifelong healthful eating and regular physical activity.

Fetuses and Newborns Infants and Toddlers Children and Adolescents Adults and Elders

Promoting healthy weight at conception and during pregnancy

Promoting diabetes (blood glucose) control before and during pregnancy

Preventing low birth weight

Preventing high birth weight

Promoting breastfeeding (See Breastfeeding Promotion and Support to learn about the IHS Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and what health care providers can do.)

Supporting breastfeeding (See Breastfeeding Promotion and Support.)

Promoting timely introduction of healthy solid foods

Decreasing sweetened beverage consumption

Limiting fast food, takeout food, and eating out

Encouraging 30 to 60 minutes of structured play and physical activity daily

Decreasing TV viewing and other screen time

Promoting healthful eating habits

Limiting fast food, takeout food, and eating out

Promoting regular physical activity

Limiting sweetened beverage consumption

Decreasing TV viewing and other screen time

Promoting healthful eating by modeling behaviors

Decreasing portion size

Limiting fast food, takeout food, and eating out

Increasing physical activity

Decreasing TV viewing and other screen time

Promoting healthy weight maintenance
 The table above is adapted from The Permanente Journal, Summer 2003, Vol. 7 (3): 9–10.

Protecting Children and Adolescents

Parents need to encourage children to follow the “5–2–1–0” model to ensure a healthy weight.

Five. Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
Two. Limit TV and other screen time to no more than 2 hours a day.
One. Engage in 1 hour of physical activity per day.
Zero. Limit sugar-sweetened beverages each day. None is best.
Sechelt (British Columbia) adolescents.
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