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Scott Clinic offering Healthy Military Children Program

  • Published
  • By Airman Gwendalyn Smith
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Office
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The 5210 Healthy Military Children Program is a nationally recognized adolescent obesity prevention program offered at the Scott Clinic, which encourages children and their families to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, limit screen time to two hours or less per day, exercise for one hour per day and reduce sugary drinks to zero.

Data shows that children from military families are more likely to serve in the military, but overall such high rates of obesity within this population may negatively impact the number of eligible volunteers for future military service.

That's why the goal of the 5210 program is to teach military children healthy choices and give them obtainable goals over a period of time.

"We are a society of chronic dieters," said Darla Klausner, the 5210 HMCP director. "I think children should get away from that idea of dieting. What is important in this program is to bring kids out of that diet approach into a non-dieting healthy mentality. If they start making healthier choices now, it will help them when they're older."

The program sets children up with a nutritionist to help evaluate their daily food intakes and come up with a healthy eating plan.

Kathy Takacs, diabetes prevention program coordinator, explained that her role "is to assess the child's nutritional needs and to determine calorie intake. The goal is not to make them lose weight but to help them grow into their weight. They are going to still be growing, so we want them to make healthy choices and gradually lose one or two pounds."

To help put the 5210 program plan into action, the Department of Defense offers 5210 Healthy Military Children tip sheets. The sheets offer many suggestions for families and those who work with military children. Developed in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University, the tip sheets are grounded in work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the DoD's Office of Family Readiness Policy.

Tips for families:

· Eat together as a family and model healthy eating for your children.

· Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables and other foods at planned times throughout the day.

· Turn off televisions and put away cell phones during meals and enjoy spending time together as a family.

· Work with your children to identify a variety of activities they enjoy that do not involve screens.

· Use activities as incentives instead of food--a trip to the park, batting cage or pool.

· Walk or bike as a family to get where you're going.

· Make water the norm for quenching thirst

· Sparkling water, still water with slices of lemon, and fruity herbal iced teas are fun alternatives to plain water.

· Nonfat and 1 percent milk and 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices contain beneficial nutrients and also calories.