Pediatric obesity is a growing epidemic affecting millions of children and families across the United States. This problem, however, is completely avoidable. With 4 simple guidelines, you can introduce a healthy lifestyle to your children at an early age, ensuring healthy eating habits they can continue to follow as they grow.
   
It is important to remember that living a healthy lifestyle involves teamwork as a family. Children learn from their parents, and will develop the same habits. If you can remember these 4 key concepts, the chances of your children becoming overweight will be decreased dramatically.

The four steps are:
1. 5 fruits and vegetables a day
  
2. 2 hours or less of screen time (TV, computer, video games)
        
3. 1 hour of physical activity or more
        
4. Limited to no sugar-sweetened drinks.
   
Following these four steps while staying on a consistent meal schedule each day will give your children the tools to stay healthy. Make sure you and your children are eating breakfast, preparing meals at home as a family, and having at least one meal a day together. This will decrease your chances of developing bad eating habits, and eating out on a regular basis, all causes of which can lead to weight gain when done in excess.
 

Added on 01/31/2012

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