Childhood obesity now affects about one in six kids and disproportionately affects low-income and minority populations. When looking only at preschool age children, one in seven is now considered obese. Given the high rate of adult obesity in the United States and its associated personal and financial costs, how can we teach young kids healthy habits early in life so they are less likely to become the next generation of obese adults?

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Listen to the Early Childhood Education Podcast

Childhood obesity now affects about one in six kids and disproportionately affects low-income and minority populations. When looking only at preschool age children, one in seven is now considered obese. Given the high rate of adult obesity in the United States and its associated personal and financial costs, how can we teach young kids healthy behaviors early in life so they are less likely to become the next generation of obese adults?

One approach is to start at the community level. One educational organization, Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), believes in the importance of keeping kids healthy and active in school. LAUP's efforts to teach kids healthy behaviors are profiled in this new video and podcast from CDC's Communities Putting Prevention to Work. They highlight small, healthy changes that can be made in any classroom—like teaching fun dances and providing nutritious snacks.

In addition to LAUP, many other communities across the country are also providing more opportunities for pre-K children to engage in physical activity and learn about healthy eating.

In Portland, Maine the city has created two StoryWalks in local parks. StoryWalks are paths with signage showing the pages of a book as well exercises for children. Nearby childcare centers are encouraged to take advantage of the active story and children are welcome to use the path with their parents.

In Wood County, Wisconsin 19 new gardens have been created at childcare centers through out the county, supporting early learning about healthy eating and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables for 1,800 children a year.

Join these communities to give kids more access to physical activity and healthy food. Preschools can start by following the tips below from the Let's Move! Child Care program:

• Provide one to two hours of physical activity throughout the day, including outside play when possible.
• Limit screen time for children under the age of two. For children age two and older, strive to limit screen time to no more than one to two hours of quality screen time per day.
• Serve fruits or vegetables at every meal, eat meals family-style whenever possible, and avoid sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Provide access to water during meals and throughout the day.
• For mothers who want to breastfeed, provide their milk to their infants and welcome them to breastfeed during the child care day.

Resources:

Check out the resources below for more information about helping improve the health of young children.

• CDC Childhood Obesity Strategies and Solutions
• Farm to Preschool Program, Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College
• More Information about Water Access in Schools
• Portland StoryWalk leads kids along path with pages of a book
• Farm to Preschool Project, Kauai, HI
• Let's Move! Physical Activities for Child Care Settings
• Let's Move! Healthy Eating for Child Care Settings
• Healthy Habits for Life Resource Kit
• Grow It, Try It, Like It!