September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

One in 3 children in the United States is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented! In honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, Columbia Family Health System encourages your family to:

• Get active outside – Walk around the neighborhood, ride a bike along the dike, or play basketball at the school.

• Limit screen time – keep inactive (sitting down) screen time to 2 hours or less a day.

• Make healthy meals – buy and serve more vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods.

Taking small steps as a family can help your child stay at a healthy weight.

• Hammer Down fitness supports health and well being in our community: Hammerdown Here!

• There are scheduled, healthy activities listed on our Calendar: HERE

We can all use this month to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and show people how they can take action toward a solution — both at home and in the larger community.