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Making our children healthier

ODS is proud to partner with We Can!™ (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition), a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers and entire communities a way to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight through improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time. Created by the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s medical research agency, We Can! provides families and communities with science-based educational materials and curricula to prevent childhood overweight and obesity.

Why work with We Can!?

ODS is committed to helping our members get and stay healthy — and healthy behaviors established early in life can have lasting positive effects. ODS chose to partner with the National Institutes of Health’s We Can! program because it is unique among existing youth obesity-prevention initiatives in its focus on reaching parents, families and caregivers as a primary group for influencing young people.

Our role as a We Can! partner has three main components:

Channeling our efforts, networking at the community level to improve the health of our members and the communities in which they live.
Disseminating We Can! messages via organizational communication channels
Helping to recruit communities to run We Can! programming of their own

We Can! toolkit

We Can! fact sheet – This two-page overview of the program includes background information, materials and resources, and tips on how to partner with the program.
We Can! brochure - This informative brochure provides basic information about the program and how families can take action to improve their health by maintaining a healthy weight.
Go, Slow and Whoa foods - This tip sheet explains the difference between these foods. Go Foods are foods you can eat almost anytime. Slow Foods are foods you should only eat sometimes, and Whoa Foods are foods you should only eat once in a while or for special occasions.
U R What U Eat – This kid-friendly, easy-to-read chart will help children understand Go, Slow, and Whoa foods.
Parent tips: healthier eating while saving money - This resource helps you choose healthier foods when shopping, and save money at the same time.
Food comparison chart - This chart shows you how healthier choices can save you both calories and money.
Parent tips: making healthier food choices – This resource provides an overview of Go, Slow, and Whoa foods, healthy food substitutions, and portion size.
Cooking with children – This tip sheet offers suggestions for how your children can help in the kitchen. Cooking with your kids is a good way to help them develop healthy eating habits.
Snacks — 100 calories or less – These tasty and easy snacks can satisfy your hunger between meals. They fit right into a healthy eating plan and each has 100 or fewer calories.
Physicians’ role in preventing childhood overweight and obesity – This tip sheet provides an overview of We Can!, as well as tips on how health professionals can become involved in the program.

For more details and resources about the We Can! program, visit http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.