"The first
step is learning what we Do, Chew and View." These
are the words of Randi Huffman, Project Coordinator for
Switch, a new pilot program from the National Institute
on Media and the Family. Huffman's words demonstrate part
of the reason Switch is the first public health initiative
of its kind. Never before has anyone tried to address the
issues of activity, nutrition, and screen time all at once.
Over the last few years a growing body of research has linked
high levels of screen time with unhealthy eating habits
and low rates of physical activity. For example, the epidemic
of childhood diabetes seems, at least in part, due to the
average child's 44 hours in front of screens each week.
All those sedentary hours combined with dozens of ads for
junk food can make it difficult to figure out how to create
a healthy lifestyle from scratch. It's not that most people
avoid being healthy - today's fast-paced life just makes
it hard to know where to start sometimes.
Parents know what's best for their children. That's why
Switch provides parents with the tools and resources to
make it easier to switch on health and fitness. As Huffman
puts it, "Switch helps people switch up physical activity,
switch on fruits and vegetables, and switch down screen
time."
You've heard the phrase, "It takes a village to raise
a child." The philosophy behind Switch is similar.
"Part of what makes Switch unique is how it gets the
community, the schools and families involved," says
Huffman, who has a background in public health. "The
great news is, so far, everyone, from schools to community
leaders to individuals are really excited to get started."
Getting started is a matter of raising awareness. Switch
makes it easier for parents to make healthy choices for
their children. Every family who signs up will receive monthly
packets containing tips and tools for encouraging physical
activity and creating meals and snacks packed with fruits
and vegetables, as well as ideas for how to manage screen
time. Throughout the program, kids and families can accumulate
Switch points for reaching their goals and doing Switch
activities. The Switch points serve as a reminder and reward
for striving for a healthy lifetyle.
Two communities, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Lakeville, Minnesota,
are excited to have been chosen to pilot this national program.
And the National Institute on Media and the Family, along
with the funders of the Switch program, are excited to see
the first results. We hope that providing families with
the tools to Switch what you do, Switch what you chew, and
Switch what you view also gives them the keys to health
and fitness.
David Walsh, Ph.D. is the founder
of the MediaWise Movement, a program of the National Institute
on Media and the Family (www.mediafamily.org).
His latest book is Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival
Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen
is a national bestseller.
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