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Physical Activity
What leads to weight gain?
Why is there concern about overweight and obesity in children?
Why is physical activity important for young children?*
What can you do about your child's weight?
Need more information?
Physical activity can help children and adults maintain a healthy weight!
Overweight and obesity rates continue to increase in the U.S. as well as Maine.
Overweight and Obese | Obese | |
U.S. adults | 68% | 33.8% |
Maine adults | 25.2% | |
U.S. children 2-19 years | 17% | |
U.S. children 2-5 years | 10.4% | |
U.S. children 6-11 years | 19.6% | |
U.S. children 12-19 years | 18.1% |
What leads to weight gain?
- Poor food choices
- Lack of physical activity (play time for children; leisure time physical activity for adults)
- Screen time (television, computer time, video games, etc) – when children have a lot of screen time in their day, they not only have less time for physical play time, but there is a good chance they are doing "mindless" eating, are seeing many ads for unhealthy foods (which influence food purchases later); screen time also lowers a person's metabolic rate (number of calories the body uses while at rest)
- Surroundings (such as busy streets which are not safe areas for children to play outside)
- Genetics (what we were born with)
Why is there concern about overweight and obesity in children?
- Increases the risk of heart disease – obese children have higher rates of "adult" problems, including high cholesterol and increased blood pressure
- Increased rates of Type 2 Diabetes (in the past, this was a problem only found in overweight adults)
- Sleep apnea (also a problem normally only for overweight adults)
- Increased asthma problems
- If a child is obese, he or she will most likely be an obese adult
- Higher health care costs over a lifetime
Why is physical activity important for young children?*
Active play helps babies and young children to develop normally. Through playing, children learn:
- About their bodies
- What their bodies can do
- How to control things around them
- Important motor skills like how to crawl, walk, run, hop, skip, jump, and slide
Active play enhances skills children will need later in life for math, science and reading.
*Information from: Parent's Guide to Physical Play, The Diane Lindner-Goldberg Child Institute, Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.
What can you do about your child's weight?
Get active with your children!
Choose healthy foods for your family – remember that a parent's job is to choose what foods to feed your children. If you have questions about healthy food choices, talk to your WIC counselor.
- Include fruits and/or vegetables at every meal.
- Choose low-fat dairy foods for your family.
- Limit high-calorie snack foods in the house (like chips, cookies, or brownies).
- Keep fresh fruits handy for snacks.
- Limit sugar-sweetened beverages (including fruit juice); provide children with water when they are thirsty between meals.
Set a good example! Make playtime a part of your day?young children are more likely to be involved in active play if you join them. Show them that active play is fun!
- Reward good behavior with fitness activities, not food or extra screen time. Take a walk, go swimming, or have snow play time.
- Look for ways to spend family time in active play. Go biking or walking together, fly a kite, or plan a day at the beach together.
- Let your children see you doing active things every day
- Limit screen time; the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends: No TV or screen time for children 2 years or younger, and no more than 2 hours screen time per day for children older than 2 years.
Need more information? Try these links:
Healthy Maine Partnerships
https://www.healthymainepartnerships.org/
Walking Trails in Maine
https://healthymainewalks.org/
Tips for Parents: Ideas to Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children/index.html
We Can! Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/get-active/index.htm
Eat Smart. Play Hard
https://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/eatsmartmaterials.html
Choose My Plate for healthy eating tips for you and your family
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/
Fruits and Veggies More Matters
https://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/
Let's Go! Resources
https://www.letsgo.org/
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
https://www.fitness.gov/
Questions? Want to sign up? Contact your local WIC clinic.
York County Community Action Corp – York County
- Sanford: 207-459-2942
- Biddeford: 207-283-2402
The Opportunity Alliance – Cumberland County
- Portland: 207-553-5800
Western Maine Community Action – Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties
- Auburn: 207-795-4016
- Wilton: 207-645-3764
Midcoast Maine Community Action – Lincoln, Knox, Waldo, and Sagadahoc Counties
- Bath: 207-442-7963
- Rockland: 207-594-4329
Maine General – Kennebec and Somerset Counties
- Augusta: 207-626-6350
- Waterville: 207-861-3580
- Skowhegan: 207-861-3593
Bangor Public Health & Community Services – Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties
- Bangor: 207-992-4570
Maine Family Planning – Washington and Hancock Counties
- Ellsworth: 207-667-5304
- Machias: 207-255-8280
- Calais: 207-454-3634
Aroostook County Action Program – Aroostook County
- Presque Isle: 207-768-3026
State Contacts for VOC Requests
State Agency Contact Information
- Monday - Friday 8am-5pm
- Phone: (207) 287-3991
In-state Toll Free:
1-800-437-9300
TTY: Maine relay 711
- Email:
Main: WIC.Maine@maine.gov
Vendor: WICVendor@maine.gov - Mailing address:
11 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333