5-2-1-0

Have you heard of 5-2-1-0?

I hadn't until I picked up the most recent copy of Alive magazine. 5-2-1-0 is a recommendation by the Childhood Obesity Foundation (COF). Now I know nothing about the COF, but did you know that 26% of Canadian kids are overweight or obese? That accounts for 1.6 million kids, and in most cases is caused by poor eating habits and lack of regular exercise. (And no, I don't believe a virus has caused this all). That can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, respiratory problems, bone and joint disease, and on the list goes. Not to mention the social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem and bullying. Obesity is something that may follow a kid into their adult life, and lead to life long concerns.

So what do we do? 5-2-1-0.

Everyday, children should have:

• 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.
• 2 hours (or less) of screen time (TV, computer, video games)
• 1 hour of physical activity
• 0 sugar sweetened beverages.

It does sound simple. But then, as a parent, do you also follow this and set a good example for your children? I know I can easily spend more than 2 hours in front of the computer, some days I have to include my work to get my hour of activity, and I tend to like my fruit but not always my veggies. I don't "sugar" my drinks, but I do have a sweet tooth. So there will always be room for improvement. This simple recommendation is a nice refresher on a few things I need to include or eliminate.

Happy 5-2-1-0'ing.