NIH recently launched a national public education program designed to help families adopt healthier lifestyles. Titled "We Can!" ("Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition!"), the program targets parents and caregivers of children ages 8 to 13.
We Can! -- a collaboration of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and National Cancer Institute -- is being promoted in conjunction with national health and youth organizations and community-based groups. The Academy is a founding partner of the We Can! program.
“As parents, we must lead by example," Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., said in a June 1 NIH news release on the program. "As a father, I work hard to teach my children about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating by not only talking with them but also setting the example for them. In fact, my kids and I often work out together. The behaviors that children learn from us now will last a lifetime."
We Can! program tools include a parents’ handbook available in Spanish or English and a six-lesson curriculum, to be offered through community-based sites, that encourages healthy eating, greater physical activity and less sedentary time for children. Tested curricula for youth also are available to community organizations.
The science-based We Can! program helps parents teach their children to:
- Eat sufficient helpings of fruits and vegetables every day.
- Consume smaller portions of food overall at home and at restaurants.
- Eat fewer high-fat foods and energy-dense foods that are low in nutrient value.
- Substitute water or fat-free or low-fat milk for sweetened beverages such as sodas.
- Engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week.
- Reduce "recreational screen time" (TV viewing and computer or video game-playing, for example) to two hours each day.
The We Can! Web site offers parents, caregivers, communities, national partners and media up-to-date health information and tips on maintaining a healthy weight for families.
