BATON ROUGE – As families across Louisiana settle into the school year, Louisiana Healthcare Connections is encouraging parents and children to make physical activity and healthy routines part of their everyday lives during National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in September.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in five children in the United States has obesity, with Louisiana among the states facing a particularly significant childhood obesity challenge. Childhood obesity is a complex health condition influenced by many factors, including genetics, eating patterns, physical activity, sleep, access to health care and the environments where children live, learn and play. Children with obesity are at greater risk for a number of health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and sleep apnea.
“Healthy habits don’t have to mean major changes overnight,” said Dr. Dana Lawson, Senior Vice President of Population Health at Louisiana Healthcare Connections. “For families, some of the most meaningful steps can be simple ones, such as taking a walk together, riding bikes, playing outside, choosing water more often and making time for regular checkups. When children see the adults around them making healthy choices, those choices become part of the family’s routine.”
The CDC recommends that children ages 3 to 5 be physically active throughout the day, while children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. Activities can include walking, running, biking, swimming, playing on a playground, participating in sports, or simply engaging in active play.
Physical activity provides benefits beyond maintaining a healthy weight. Regular physical activity can improve children’s brain health, attention and memory, muscular fitness, cardiovascular health, and blood sugar regulation while reducing the risk of chronic conditions including obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Louisiana Healthcare Connections encourages families to look for opportunities to build movement into activities they are already doing. Families can:
· Make movement family time. Take an evening walk, ride bikes, dance at home or play an active game together.
· Choose activities children enjoy. Sports aren’t the only way to stay active. Swimming, walking, playground activities, jumping rope and active play all count.
· Make everyday activities active. Walking the dog, washing the car, gardening and other household chores can add movement to the day.
· Limit sedentary time. Replace some screen time with outdoor play or another activity the family enjoys.
· Build healthy routines around food and sleep. Healthy eating and adequate sleep are important parts of children’s growth and development.
· Keep regular health care appointments. Pediatricians and other health care providers can monitor a child’s growth and development, identify potential health concerns and help families determine when additional support may be appropriate.
For children living with diabetes or at increased risk for diabetes, regular health care is particularly important. Louisiana Healthcare Connections provides members with resources to help manage diabetes, including information about blood sugar monitoring, diabetes-friendly nutrition, recommended screenings and care management. The health plan also offers members access to care managers who can help families understand their health needs, find providers, schedule appointments and develop individualized health goals.
Louisiana Healthcare Connections also encourages families to talk with their child’s health care provider about concerns related to weight, nutrition, physical activity or blood sugar. These conversations should be supportive and focused on overall health rather than weight alone.
“Every family has different circumstances, resources and challenges,” Lawson said. “Our goal is to help families find realistic, sustainable ways to support their children’s health. A healthy lifestyle is something families can build together, one small choice at a time.”
For more information about health and wellness resources available to Louisiana Healthcare Connections members, visitwww.louisianahealthconnect.com.