Promoting Good Nutrition and Physical Activity in Child-Care Settings

Child-care facilities provide a valuable opportunity to promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors in children. The alarming rates of obesity among children in the United States make the opportunity to introduce healthy behaviors during early childhood especially important. Between 1971 and 2004, the rate of obesity among children ages 6 to 11 years increased nearly fivefold (from 4 percent to 19 percent), and the rate among preschool children ages 2 to 5 years nearly tripled (from 5 percent to 14 percent.)1, 2 Today, one-third of all children and adolescents in the U.S. are either obese or at risk for becoming obese.2