Editor’s note: OSF HealthCare is a sponsor of Chambanamoms.com.
Here are some stats that may – or may not – surprise you:
- Only one in three children are physically active every day
- Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults
- Children aged 6 to 10 should get between 10 and 11 hours of sleep each night
- Children age 8 to 17 say they worry about doing well in school, getting into good colleges and their family’s finances.
With an overall goal of helping kids lead healthier, happier lives, OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois has created a new pediatric wellness program to get kids moving, eating, sleeping, and coping better. It’s called Healthy Lives 4 Kids.
There are four components of the program:
- Physical activity
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- Coping skills
Stephanie Miles, a program coordinator in the advocacy department of OSF Children’s Hospital, says all families can learn something new at Health Lives 4 Kids.
“There were some things I learned really quickly that I didn’t know. For example, that my child should be sleeping 10 and 13 hours per night. I thought ‘10 and 13 hours? Holy smokes! How am I going to do this?’ But then when you start looking into the program and the suggestions we offer, there are ways to get your kids to bed earlier,” she said.
“My children go to bed 30 minutes earlier now, and it has made a world of difference in their lives.”
Healthy Lives 4 Kids is coming to Urbana on Sept. 14. This free event includes games, prizes and snacks. Find more information here.