Celebrate Child Health Day

October 2, 2008 - It is estimated that 1 in 6 children in the U.S. between the ages of 2 and 19 is overweight, a risk factor for serious health conditions including asthma, diabetes and heart disease.  October 6, 2008 is Child Health Day – a day to stand against childhood obesity by taking the Surgeon General’s pledge to help children eat healthy and be active.  Child Health Day calls for schools, parents and the community to 1) be role models by making healthy choices for themselves; 2) help children be physically active through everyday play and participation in sports; and 3) support children’s healthy eating habits. 

The Surgeon General’s Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative webpage includes checklists and a list of resources to help schools and teachers, parents and caregivers, and the community take the pledge against childhood obesity.  Schools and teachers are reminded to:

1) Help kids stay active by:

• Increasing opportunities for students to engage in physical activity; and
• Implementing a physical education curriculum using state or national physical education standards.

2) Encourage healthy eating habits by:

• Implementing healthy classroom snacks and other classroom policies to promote healthy nutrition in the classroom;
• Implementing a kid-friendly nutrition information sharing program in the school cafeteria; and 
• Ensuring that all foods and beverages sold or served outside of school meal programs are nutritious.

3) Promote healthy choices by:

• Implementing a staff wellness challenge;
• Engaging in a multi-component, school-wide program to address physical activity and nutrition through a Coordinated School Health Program; and
• Asking students to get involved in improving nutrition and physical activities.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to, among other things, put an hour of physical activity into their children’s day; limit TV and other screen time to less than two hours per day; shop, cook and plan for healthy meals; sit at the table and eat together as a family (which research has shown help children eat more fruits and vegetables a fewer fried and junk foods); and make sure children get enough sleep each night. 

Communities are asked to talk with schools about increasing physical activity; build and keep up community recreation areas; increase the “walkability” of the community; and increase the number of places people can get healthy food they can afford; among others.

To learn more about Child Health Day and the Surgeon General’s pledge and checklists, click here.

Source: Child Health Day webpage, HHS; and Office of the Surgeon General’s “Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative” webpage, HHS.