Media and Obesity: 10 Ways to Raise Healthy, Active Kids
7th September, 2011 - Posted by - 5 Comments
Editor’s Note: One of the keys to impacting childhood obesity and related health issues is reducing children’s screen time and setting limits. Without adding this into the mix of proper nutrition and physical activity, we will not be successful. As I like to say, trade screen time for green (outdoor) time! Play on – Bethe
I just wrote a post about the latest policy statement on media and obesity from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Screen media isn’t inherently a health risk – it just needs to be kept in balance with healthy activities and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Check out these tips:
- Take screens out of your children’s bedrooms. When a child has a screen in his or her bedroom, screen time goes up and quality of sleep goes down.
- Set limits on the amount of time that children spend with screen media. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends: zero hours of entertainment media for children under 2, one hour a day for pre-school aged children, and two hours a day for school-aged children and teens.
- If you are well over the recommendations, make a screen time goal that makes sense for your family. Try decreasing a half hour every week!
- Create an “activity jar” with your kids. When allotted screen time is up, pull an activity from the jar!
- If you work more than one job or odd hours, plug your kids into free or subsidized programs in your community that emphasize healthy activities and screen-free fun.
- Discuss food advertising with your children. What sorts of foods does their body and brain need to be healthy? What messages are they hearing on TV?
- Have your kids create their own food advertisements and shows! What about one that features interviews with local gardeners or farmers? That details the life of a vegetable? The options are endless.
- Find fun recipes that include vegetables and fruits. Cook with your kids! Ask your teenager to be in charge or a meal for the whole family and help them work out a nutritious menu.
- Figure out what is going on in your community – explore local parks and other free community resources that get kids off the couch and into the world.
- Encourage your children to play ‘exergames’ and other active video games like Dance Dance Revolution and Wii Sports.
Here are some ideas for filling up those screen-free hours:
- Great Activity Ideas from Head Start Body Start.
- Simple Tips for Staying Active from our friends at Parent Further.
- I just took a look at Brain Insights’ Brain Development Activity Packets - great ideas for fun and brain boosting activities!
How do you stay healthy and active in your family? Tell us below!
Play on, ![]()
Dr. Dave Walsh
Guest Blogger Bio: David Walsh, Ph.D. is an award winning psychologist, best selling author, national media personality, and international speaker. His organization, Mind Positive Parenting, translates the latest brain science for everyday use. His newest book Smart Parenting, Smarter Kids was just released. His website www.drdavewalsh.com provides information and resources for parents, teachers and youth serving professionals. Follow Dr. Dave on Twitter.
photo credit: stevendepolo
Tags: activity, childhood, development, ECE, exercise, family, fun, Health, Parent, Physical Activity
Posted on: September 7, 2011
5 Comments
kari
September 8th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Some great ideas.
I think it is very important to teach food culture and know where food comes from.
How about go apple picking and pumpkin picking this fall ?
When you come home, cook with your harvest.
My family is going to make tomato sauce this weekend with tomatoes from the garden.
hsbs
September 8th, 2011 at 3:34 pm
Love tying food culture into activities, movement and part of the overall health of your family. Thanks for the ideas, Kari!
Debi
September 8th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
One of my readers once suggested an hour of outdoor time for every hour of screen time. Bet you’d wind up staying outside once you got there!
Michele
September 9th, 2011 at 1:56 am
We gradually cut back on TV to the point where it didn’t make sense to keep it. It was never a goal to get rid of screen time.
I always asked myself “Is there a better way we could be spending our time?” The answer was always “Yes.” Now my daughter puts on shows for me while I cook dinner.
I like Debi’s idea! Put a priority on outdoor time.
Fanny Waist Pack
September 13th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Be a good role model! Whatever we are encouraging our children to do, we must engage in that, too. So if we suggest they do something active, we can do that right along with them.
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