Cold winter days now have replaced the warmth and activity of summer. With winter come the holidays – stuffed with festivities, fun and food – lots of food. Childhood obesity is on the rise across the United States, which is why keeping your kids physically active year round is so important.

Staying active can be a challenge when your kids are stuck inside. The winter months are a good time to take advantage of resources in your community, including local community centers or the YMCA. Both offer programs for your whole family to stay active together.

Research shows physical activity decreases stress levels and promotes family time. At home, create obstacle courses. While watching TV, perform physical activities during commercial breaks, or get your kids moving to age-appropriate exercise videos.

Just because it’s winter outside, your kids don't have to stay inside. Make the most of winter and have fun participating in outdoor activities like:
•    Ice-skating.
•    Snow shoeing.
•    Playing hockey.
•    Cross-country skiing.
•    Building a snowman or snow fort.
•    Sledding.

Another way to make exercise fun is to create an activity chart. Set weekly or monthly goals and when your kids achieve those goals, reward them with things other than food.

Remember to limit “screen” time (TV, video games, computer games and even phone time) to less than two hours a day. Kids should get 60 minutes of exercise or physical activity every day. It’s important to note, however, that exercise for an adult is not the same as exercise for a child. Physical activity should be packaged into smaller increments for kids.

No matter what time of year, it’s important for parents to get involved and be active with their kids. Be a role model for your children and set a positive example. Kids will respond to that. The key is to make exercise fun, be creative and lead by example.

Stacy Stolzman, PT, is a physical therapist at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Looking for some tools to skyrocket your family to better health? Check out Children's Hospital of Wisconsin's 3-2-1-0 Blast Off to a Healthier Family! program that helps families like yours achieve better health. We know obesity continues to be an epidemic problem in both adults and children. And, as the obesity numbers in children rise, so do the number of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Adult diabetes on the rise in kids

Historically, children were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a condition that usually is due to genetics, in which the body does not produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes, formally known as adult onset diabetes, is more directly the result of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Usually, this condition would take years to develop, but with today’s access to fast food, sweetened beverages and highly processed foods, in combination with sedentary activities such as video games, cable and cell phones, type 2 diabetes has started to affect people at a younger age. Children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as young as 6 years old.

3-2-1-0 Blast Off!

Making better meal and snack choices, as well as being physically active, can help prevent obesity and potentially type 2 diabetes. 3-2-1-0 Blast Off to a Healthier Family! Can help launch healthier habits for your family. This program, developed by the NEW (Nutrition, Exercise and Weight Management) Kids Program at Children's Hospital helps families to make healthy choices every day.

3 - Eat three meals a day. Many families today are busy and look for quick and convenient ways to provide meals. This often means stopping at fast food restaurants or buying prepared, processed foods. These meals tend to provide inadequate fiber and are higher in fat, sodium and calories.

2 - Allow less than two hours of sedentary activity per day. Limit the amount of time children are involved in screen time activities. This includes watching television, playing video games, using the computer and talking or texting on the phone.

1 - Aim for at least one hour of physical activity each day. Encourage your children to participate in activities they enjoy. This can include riding a bike, playing tag, jumping rope, running, family walks and basketball. Make this a family event!

0 - Eliminate sweetened beverages. Choose beverages that have less than three grams of sugar per serving. Sweetened beverages can provide empty calories that add up very quickly.

Family Meals. Try to have as many meals as possible together as a family. This provides a great opportunity to learn about the events of the day and make you more conscious of how quickly and how much you are eating.



A new section of Children's Health Education Center's Bluekids.org Web site offers interactive games for kids, meal and activity tracking sheets, parenting information and more at www.bluekids.org. Introduce your kids to characters like "Skipper" (skips meals), "Hypnotica" (encourages kids to watch TV and play video games) and "Buzz" (cons kids into drinking sweetened juices and sodas). Fun, interactive activities teach kids how to battle these "aliens" to good health.

Fast Fact: About 151,000 people below the age of 20 have diabetes in North America.

Brian Fidlin, PsyD is the program director of the NEW (Nutrition, Exercise and Weight Management) Kids Program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Heather Fortin, RD, CD, CSCS, CLC is a registered dietitian with the NEW Kids Program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.