Helping Kids Through Healthy Lives 4 Kids

Here are some stats that may – or may not – surprise you:

     - Only one in three children are physically active every day

     - Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults

     - Children aged 6 to 10 should get between 10 and 11 hours of sleep each night

     - Children age 8 to 17 say they worry about doing well in school, getting into good colleges and their family's     finances.

With an overall goal of helping kids lead healthier, happier lives, OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois has created a new pediatric wellness program to get kids moving, eating, sleeping, and coping better. It’s called Healthy Lives 4 Kids.

Stephanie Miles says there are things she didn’t know as a parent that she has learned through Healthy Lives 4 Kids that she hopes to share with others, including how to help kids get a better night’s sleep.

The Children’s Hospital of Illinois Advocacy team gives presentations to schools and community groups, and holds community wellness events to get the word out. The school sessions are tailored to the group and can focus on individual topics or all of them. The community wellness events are designed to be fun, but also educational, using items and teaching techniques that are realistic for parents on a daily basis - things they can do in their own backyard or kitchen.
 

There are three Healthy Lives 4 Kids community wellness events scheduled this summer: June 10 in East Peoria, July 8 in Galesburg, and August 5 in Peoria. The events are free and are limited to the first 250 children that sign up. Registration can be found through the OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois events calendar at http://www.childrenshospitalofillinois.org/calendar/ or by calling 309.624.5907.