Countdown to good health - 5 - 2 - 1- 0

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"Small changes can add up to big results for your health," says James Ebert, MD, lead physician in the lipid clinic at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton.  He believes committing to a few small steps can help your family maintain health, energy, growth and success.

Healthy eating and daily physical exercise are the changes needed. With busy family schedules these days, it’s hard enough to balance even one of these habits. But there’s no substitute for providing young bodies with what they need.  Healthy habits need to begin in childhood to achieve life-long good health.

How do parents start?

When thinking how to keep your kids eating right and in good physical shape, just remember these four numbers: 5-2-1-0. These numbers will help you remember the small steps your family can take to make a big impact on your health.

The experts at Dayton Children’s and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.  Along with eating healthy, children should also be spending only 2 hours in front of the TV, computer, or video game screen each day. To stay physically fit, at least 1 hour of aerobic activity everyday will keep your heart strong.  Finally, 0 is the amount of sugary drinks that should be consumed on a daily basis. These four easy steps create a simple way for families to maintain their overall health.

Getting started the 5-2-1-0 way

Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day

• Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
• Your child should be eating fruits or vegetables at every meal - they can be fresh, frozen or canned (just check label for sugar and sodium quantities).
• And make sure to choose interesting vegetables and fruits - make eating them fun.
• Fruit smoothies are a quick, healthy and tasty snack that kids will enjoy.
• Some kids may be picky vegetable eaters, so parents can be creative and disguise vegetables in pasta, sauces or soups.

Spend less than 2 hours on TV, video and/or computer games each day.

• Time spent in front of a screen takes time away from physical activity and play that every child needs. Many children today spend four to five hours each day in front of a screen.
• Children who sit in front of a TV or video game spend much of the time snacking - often on unhealthy foods.
• TV commercials promote processed and fast foods of poor nutritional quality - turn it off!
• Encourage your child to read a book or draw a picture instead of watching TV or playing a computer game.
• Do not allow TV during dinnertime - spend that time talking with your child about his or her day.

Get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day

• Activity can be fun - whether it’s indoor or outdoor, alone or with friends, brothers or sisters!
• One hour can be split up into a few fun games lasting 10-15 minutes each.
• Riding bikes and walking are great activities that can be done as a family.
• Get creative and use your imagination to make exercise fun. Make a homemade basketball hoop, "lift weights" with household items like soup cans, or have a kangaroo (hopping) race outside in the grass.
• Let your kids rediscover skipping rope, kick-the-can, capture the flag, playing tag or inventing their own games.
• Turn off the TV and turn on the music. Have everybody get up and move with the music!

Drink 0 sugary drinks and have your child drink more water, juice and milk

• Sugary drinks, which include pop, soda, sports drinks and juice drinks that are not 100 percent juice, give your child no nutrition and add empty calories. Better choices include water and fat-free or low-fat milk.
• Since most of our bodies are made of water, we need more water than any other nutrient.
• Fat-free or low-fat milk provides protein, nutrients and vitamins, and helps your child’s bones grow strong and healthy. Watch out for whole milk, which can add unneeded calories and saturated fat.
• Eat your fruit, don’t drink it.  For the best nutrition, limit juice to one fruit serving (four ounces) per day.

Why do this?

Smart meal decisions beginning in childhood will help reduce the risk of three major leading adult causes of death:  heart disease, cancer and stroke. The 2008 Dayton Children’s Regional Pediatric Health Assessment found only 1 in 5 children eats the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables in the Miami Valley. 

Not only are most Dayton-area children not eating the right things, most children and teens need to be more active. One of the major reasons kids don’t exercise enough is because they spend too much time in front of the TV and computer. The Regional Pediatric Health Assessment found that more than 26 percent of local children spend three or more hours in front of the television per day.

Start on the path to a healthier lifestyle today by teaching your children the 5-2-1-0 tips and taking small steps that will equal big results!

About our expert

James Ebert, MD, MPH, is a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine and community health. He serves as the lead physician of the lipid clinic at Dayton Children’s and an associate professor of community health and pediatrics at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Additional Resources

• Dayton Children’s Healthy Lifestyles for tips, recipes and more
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• American Heart Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
• GetUp Montgomery County