Healthy Food Habits Start Young

Help your child eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Have cut-up fruits and veggies ready for an instant snack.

Too many children don't eat well and don't play enough. In fact, some get so little physical activity that they could be categorized as sedentary. The result has been staggering: exponential increases in the incidence of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Scott Gee, MD, pediatrician and northern California Health Education leader, says overweight children deal with medical issues (such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol) and psychosocial or emotional issues (low self-esteem, depression, or isolation). "Healthy, strong bodies come up in all shapes and sizes," he says. "We actually prefer that kids and parents not focus on weight, but on making healthy choices and having fun."

Simple Solutions

Like most kids, member Jessica Silva, 10, spent a lot of time watching TV and eating fast food. But that combination translated to a body mass index that was too high for her age.

Tips for Keeping Your Kids Fit
•Kids need to play hard for 60 minutes a day. They can break up the time into two or three periods, before and after school.
•Remove the TV from your child's bedroom.
•Help your child eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Have cut-up fruits and veggies ready for an instant snack.
•Eliminate sodas, which contain up to 18 teaspoons of sugar per serving. Limit juice drinks to no more than one small cup a day. Encourage water to quench thirst.
•Switch to low-fat (1 percent) or nonfat milk starting at age 2.
•Be a good role model: Let your child see you eating your fruits and vegetables and being active.
•Make meals a family time. Have conversations, not TV time. For more tips, go to kp.org/children.

So Jessica joined our Pediatric Weight Management Program, and she learned to eat the right foods and exercise regularly to stay fit. She found sports that she enjoys. "It helps to exercise, and I like going to play basketball and soccer," says Jessica, whose family lives in Novato.

And when it comes to nutrition, she follows a simple rule: "You can eat much of what you usually eat but not as much." She still eats fast food now and then, but she's added a lot more fruits and vegetables to her diet.

Getting Help at Kaiser Permanente

For some kids, obesity can lead to serious health conditions, such as diabetes. Sacramento physician Sobha Kollipara, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist, created Kaiser Kids Diabetes Camp, where children with type 1 diabetes could relax, play, learn skills to manage their disease, and possibly most important, interact with kids just like themselves.

Now Dr. Kollipara has taken on type 2 diabetes, launching a seven-week program with fellow pediatricians and dietitians. In High-Five to Health, children at risk for type 2 diabetes meet once a week with an activities director and interns to learn healthier lifestyle strategies. "It's a simple message to get across," explains Dr. Kollipara. "We want to help them play more and eat healthy foods. We don't talk about weight. The focus is a healthy lifestyle."

Kaiser Santa Rosa offers classes and other resources for families who are interested in learning more about healthy eating and active living. Also offered are a range of programs and services for overweight children and their families, and we're working hard to learn more about which programs are most effective. Your pediatrician or Health Education Department can help you get connected with the right services for you.