Recent Posts
Healthy Habits Start at Home
September is Childhood Obesity Month
We want to encourage a healthy lifestyle for kids and their families, especially during September’s Childhood Obesity Month. A few healthy habits can make a big difference, and they don’t have to be difficult to start. Daily exercise, limiting screen time, eating a well-balanced diet, and spending quality time together as a family are a few ways your child can stay happy and healthy. At CHDC, our Adult Medical and Pediatrics teams work with patients to establish a treatment plan to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Healthy habits start at home, and we want to share some tips and tricks for parents & caregivers – follow the steps below to get started!
We encourage everyone to speak with their healthcare provider before making any significant changes to their diet or lifestyle. Your provider will consider your individual health needs and medical history, to ensure that these changes are right for you.
How Parents and Caregivers Can Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle:
Daily Exercise
The amount and types of exercises recommended varies by a child's age. The CDC indicates that children 3 to 5 years old should be moving routinely throughout the day for proper growth and development. Children between 6 to 17 years old need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. Children should focus on aerobic activities, muscle-strengthening, and bone strengthening throughout the week.
- Aerobic Exercises: walking, biking, swimming, running, martial arts, jumping rope
- Muscle-Strengthening Exercises: climbing, push-ups, sit-ups, tug of war, yoga
- Bone-Strengthening Exercises: hoping, skipping, jumping, running
Be mindful to keep exercises fun and age appropriate. A lot of these activities can be achieved during their after-school sports, on a playground, in the community or at home.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/children.html
Limit Screen Time
When it comes to limiting screen time your child does not need to go off the grid completely to feel the positive effects. Even a short break from technology can help them feel more grounded, and present. A case study by the National Library of Medicine recommends various screen time limits by age:
- 3 to 7 years old: 30 minutes - 1 hour/day
- 7 to 12 years old: 1 hour/day
- 12 to 15 years old: 1.5 hours/day
- 16+ years old: 2 hours/day
Learn how to unplug as a family with a digital detox. To learn quick tips on how to get started, click here.
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10353947/
A Well-Balanced Diet
Encourage a healthy, balanced diet—less junk food and sweets, and more fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Try out these healthy foods swaps:
- Replace fruit snacks with fresh fruits or vegetables
- Replace soda with milk or water
- Replace ham with turkey
- Replace white rice with brown rice
- Replace chips and dip with carrots and hummus
Chester County residents looking for fresh produce can visit the Chester County Food Bank Fresh2You Mobile Market, located at the Calvary Christian Center across from the CHDC Shoppes at Coventry Office in Pottstown. Stop by every Tuesday until November 4th to get your fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities operates a public community food pantry, community meals program, and can assist with local food resources for any local individuals and families in need of food. To learn more, visit pottstowncluster.org/services.
For those in the Boyertown Community the Boyertown Area Multi-Service runs Preston’s Pantry –for anyone in need of food assistance who resides in their service area. The Boyertown Area School District plus the townships of Hereford, District, Pike, Oley & Amity are eligible for assistance from this program. To learn more, visit boyertownareamulti-service.org/prestons-pantry.
More Family Time
Focus on building healthy habits as a family! Set goals each week that your family can do together, such as going on a walk after work or school, cooking a meal, or having a game night. Put some music on as you share household chores and pick up on a new hobby like gardening. Each week spend some time with your child asking them what activities they want to do next. To be more consistent with family time keep a calendar to stay on track.
Well-Child Visits
Finally, it is crucial to keep up with well-child visits. These are regular checkups to track your child’s growth, learning, and overall health. Monitoring a child’s height, weight, and BMI helps identify early warning signs for abnormal growth, whether it may be underweight, overweight, or obesity. Having a trusted pediatrician makes all the difference for your child's health. Our pediatric healthcare team, including your child's primary care provider (PCP), is here to support children through every age and stage. Immediate pediatric openings are available - give your child the care they need to grow strong and stay healthy!
If you would like to schedule an appointment at CHDC, please call 610-326-9460 or visit our Become Our Patient page.