Healthier Children

Better Nutrition | Obesity & Inactivity | Wellness Policies & Programs

Many parents today are asking, "How can I create a healthy lifestyle for my child?"

Look around you. We've got a "growing" problem with our kids. The fact is, they're getting heavier on average, and they're getting heavier quickly. Recent studies show a dramatic increase in childhood obesity. Some researchers even think that the current generation may not enjoy the same life expectancy their parents had.

Across the country parents are trying to understand the cause and what they can do to change this trend. This “obesity epidemic” has been directly linked to:

- poor diet
- a lack of physical activity

Kids today on the whole are less active than they were a generation ago. They walk and bike less and neighborhood play has given way to video games, Internet surfing and television watching.

Much of this site deals with making communities places where kids can be more physically active. But what about what they're eating? It doesn't do much good to encourage physical activity but ignore the diet.

This portion of the website however is dedicated to looking at both sides of the equation – physical activity and nutrition for children and young adults. We encourage you to click through our pages and links to learn about the federal government’s new food pyramid, school lunch policy and interesting local initiatives aimed at promoting healthy eating habits.