1. Change their attitude towards food. Only 20% of high school kids in the U.S. consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Teens should be encouraged not only to eat the full amount of fruits and vegetables every day, they should also be encouraged to consume ‘real’ food more often. Fast food and processed foods should be avoided as much as possible. Homemade foods and foods made from scratch should be encouraged.
2. Encourage physical activity. Kids need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day to stay healthy. But they don’t have to get that 60 minutes all at once, it can be broken up into smaller, more manageable chunks of 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Make sure they get enough sleep. Kids need between 9 and 10 hours of sleep every night in order to function properly. Less than 9 to 10 hours of sleep can affect you kid’s ability to think, learn and make good decisions. Lack of sleep can also impact your kid physically, by increasing their risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression.
4. Set limits on electronics. Technology of any kind — TV, video games, computers, cell phones, etc. — should have daily limits. Once those daily limits are reached, encourage kids to perform a physical activity instead, without their technology.
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