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Safety for you and your children | Games | How to get your kids to exercise by walking to school or elsewhere | Choosing and eco-friendly auto
Promotion of Health and Fitness for Kids
Health Related Links

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• Safety for you and your kids – including young drivers, helmets, car seats, etc.
• Games for your kids that you might want to know about
• How to get your kids to exercise by walking to school or elsewhere
• Choosing an eco-friendly vehicle

Young drivers information – very informative
http://www.cars.com/carsapp/national/?szc=97204&srv=parser&act=display&tf=/advice/safety/yd/safetyindex.tmpl
http://www.cars.com/carsapp/national/?szc=97204&srv=parser&act=display&tf=/advice/youngdrivers/youngdrivers_index.tmpl

Insuring your teenage driver
http://www.iii.org/individuals/auto/b/teengage/

Teen driving site for parents and young, soon-to-be and new drivers
http://www.drivehomesafe.com/

Family Adventures in Safe Transportation – OHSU Trauma Nurses workbook for kids & parents
http://www.ohsu.edu/hosp-thinkfirst/tf_programs.shtml

How to prevent brain injury – helmet talk
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/tbi_toolkit/patients/preventing.htm

All about bike safety
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/bike/
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bikesafe.htm

Child Passenger Safety
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/

McGruff – Kids Safety including Stranger Danger issues
http://www.mcgruff.org/

Injury and violence prevention information from local "Trauma Nurses Talk Tough Program"
http://www.legacyhealth.org/trauma/injury.ssi

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The Otto Club – AAA
http://www.ottoclub.org/

Safe-A-Rooni™
http://www.safe-a-rooni.org/

Safety City
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/kids/

Energy Quest – award winner
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/

Dr. E’s Energy Lab
http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/

The Science of Energy - interactive simulation
http://www.nsta.org/energy/

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How to get your kids to exercise by walking to school or elsewhere….

Kids Walk to School – Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/fact_sheet.htm

Walking Bus
http://www.walkingbus.org/

Way to Go
http://www.waytogo.icbc.bc.ca/

America Walks
http://www.americawalks.org/resources/toolbox/

Nike Go
http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikego/

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Car Talk
http://cartalk.cars.com/info/hybrid/
http://cartalk.cars.com/info/suv/
http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Eco/

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• As the number of children walking to school has fallen, the number of children who are obese is rising.
• As the amount of "screen time" has escalated, the number of children who are obese is rising.
• Obesity is a result of the choices made concerning diet and exercise.
• By encouraging kids to exercise by choosing walking and biking as their modes of transportation for shorter distances (1/2 – 5 miles), it is hoped that they will adopt these healthy habits for life.
• If parents choose to allow their children to walk and bike to school, and if children choose to walk and bike, traffic congestion during those hours will significantly diminish.
• We hope to foster positive walking and biking attitudes in kids so that their automatic solution to their transportation needs will not always be the car.

• 9 out of 10 parents think their kids are fit, when only 1 out of 3 are.
• Almost 1/3^rd of adult obesity begins in childhood
• The earlier a child is obese – the more obese the child is likely to be.
• The more obese a child is at one age – the more obese they are likely to be at a later age.
• Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
• Overweight adolescents have an 80% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults if one or more parent is overweight or obese.
• The prevalence of overweight adolescents has nearly tripled in the last 20 years.

• Being obese puts kids at risk for - depression, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes
• The process of cholesterol build-up begins in childhood and continues through adolescence.
• Obesity in childhood lays the metabolic groundwork for adult cardiovascular disease.

• Some authorities feel the social and psychological problems are the most significant consequences for obese children.
• Obesity negatively affects a child’s self esteem and their relationship with peers.
• The most immediate consequence of overweight as perceived by the children themselves is social discrimination
• Children who are overweight often feel stigmatized, have lower self-esteem, and are less likely to engage in physical activity in order to avoid ridicule from classmates.
• Children who are over weight are subjected to ridicule and abuse from children, adults and the power of the advertising media. They are made to feel they are not good.

• Physically active kids are happier and tend to make more positive life choices.
• 78% of all kids do not do the recommended 50 minutes of vigorous activity per day.
• 63% of kids are no longer active by the time they reach high school.
• 67% of all kids watch more than 2 hours of TV per day.
• The average kid spends 5 1/2 hours of "Screen Time" a day – TV, computer games, internet, video, DVD.
• Physical education and sports activities in schools are being cut drastically.
• Kids, especially girls, become more inactive as they move through adolescence.
• Obesity is greater among kids who frequently watch TV, not only because they are inactive, but because of the snacks they consume while watching.

• Weight control must be considered a lifelong effort.
• Obesity is far easier to prevent than to reverse.
• Child eating and exercise habits are more easily modified than those of adults.
• Changes need to be taken in small steps or it is overwhelming and self defeating.
• Crash diets and pills can compromise growth.
• Giving your child lifetime healthy eating and exercise habits is one of the best things you can do for their mental health and physical well being.
• Almost all change is difficult.
• It is easier to resist major culprit foods if you don’t bring them in the house.
• It is easier to resist buying major culprit foods if you stick to a shopping list and do not shop when you are hungry.

• Keep in mind that one of the best and longest lasting benefits you can give your children is to instill in them healthy eating and exercise habits.
• Get your children to walk or bike to school when you feel they are old enough.
• Park places where you have to extend your walk to get to the store, mall or wherever. Make it feel like it is fun and worth doing.
• Reduce your kids’ amount of "screen time" and replace it with some kind of activity involving movement.
• Enroll your child in active after school activities. If they are already overweight and feel bad about not being chosen, etc. start by doing family things on the weekend until they feel better about their movement.
• Have a family meeting and set up activity goals for the whole family and for the family as a whole.
• Ensure that food is not given as a reward or punishment at school or home.
• Discourage eating in front of a screen – TV, DVD or computer.
• Don’t take your kids grocery shopping when they are hungry.
• Carefully explore with them what triggers their desire to eat – times, places, events. Their understanding of this can help them control their eating environment.
• Use your parks and recreation programs.
• Support P.E. programs in your schools.
• Encourage your children to view walking and biking as a viable and desirable means of getting around and being independent.
• Encourage your children to walk and bike because the safely lessons they learn from walking and biking will provide them with skills that will make them more conscientious drivers.
• Set a good example.

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Nike Go – "Were going to get kids moving and give them the means to do it."
http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikego/

Safer Child – Fighting Obesity in Children
http://www.saferchild.org/obesity.htm

Surgeon General – Call to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm

Weight Focus
http://www.weightfocus.com/focus_index.asp?f=weight_loss

Weight Focus – Childhood Obesity: Managing Your Child’s Food Environment
http://www.weightfocus.com/focus_articlelg.asp?b=weightfocus&f=weight_loss&c=childobesity

National Highway Safety Administration – Healthy Hearts – Talking Points
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/saferouteshtml/forms.html#1

Center for Disease Control -Guidelines for School and Community Programs to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00046823.htm

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