Health in School and Before: Child Fitness

Too many children today are overweight. Experts say that puts them at risk for major health problems. One cause is children's poor eating habits. Another cause is too little physical activity. Increased use of electronic babysitters like TVs and computers add pounds to the problem.

The good news? Being overweight is a health problem children can avoid with regular exercise and proper nutrition. And moms and dads can help.

Kids need between 900-2,500 calories per day, depending on their size, metabolism and activity level.

"Since your child develops his fat cells during early childhood, cut out high sugar content juices and starchy snack foods," says Liza May, a Washington, D.C.-based clinical nutritionist. "[Extra] fat cells cause obesity, which leads to diabetes." Preparing smart meals and encouraging frequent exercise is the key to a child's health.

Getting your child away from the couch and onto the playground helps children learn better in school, improves self-esteem and reduces the risk of obesity. The federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least an hour of exercise per day for children and thirty minutes per day for their parents. Here's what you can do to transform your couch potato into a wonderfully fit kid.

Infants need "tummy time" to practice grasping, wiggling, kicking, and rolling. Tummy time helps strengthen their upper body and shoulders so they can learn to crawl. First throw a blanket on the floor. Then put your baby on her stomach and encourage her to reach for a favorite toy just out of her reach. Buy age-appropriate toys that encourage grasping, stacking, throwing, and squeezing. Cheering your child on to be physically active from an early age will prevent a couch-potato lifestyle and childhood obesity.

Toddlers walk, climb, and jump. Promote exercise by childproofing your home. You want your toddler to feel free to explore and have fun. Put on some music and dance together. Practice walking up and down stairs, riding a tricycle, and swinging on swings. Take your child for walks or trips to the playground. Leave the stroller at home. Encourage him to climb, balance, swing, and glide. Jump in and play along. It's so much more fun when mommy or daddy joins in.

Preschoolers need plenty of active time. Your child can throw, jump, dance and skip. Challenge your preschooler to a race. Invite her friends over for playing ball, jumping hurdles or splashing in a pool. Make up fun games you can play together that favor movement. Bouncing and chasing balls can help build a child's hand-eye coordination-a key ingredient for learning to read.

Plan ahead for those rainy or snowy days. Have on hand jump ropes, foam balls with mini baskets, and clay for molding and pressing. Play music to dance to or pack up the kids for a walk around the local mall.

Confining your child to strollers, play pens and car seats for hours at a time may delay development such as rolling over, crawling and walking. Encourage your child to get off the couch, away from the chips and free from the electronic baby-sitters perched in your living room. Get out there and play with your kids. Try to do something fun every day. And who knows? You may even drop a few pounds yourself.