During the 1950s the typical soft drink order at a fast food restaurant contained about 8 ounces of soda. Today a “child” portion of Coke at McDonald's is 12 ounces, and a large Coke is 32 ounces (about 310 calories).

Visit the In The News section to learn more facts like this about obesity.

Getting children into a healthy lifestyle early will only help them form good habits for later in life. Culturally it is widely accepted that a chubby baby/child is healthy but this is not always the case. A larger baby or child most likely will lead to an overweight teen and adult which could lead to many health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure among many other problems. So start them out young with healthy food choices and having active lifestyles. Here are some resources to get them pumped about health at each stage of their lives.

• Bright Futures Nutrition Family Fact Sheets
• Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids

• Prenatal & Infants
  • Giving Your Baby the Very Best Nutrition (Birth–5 Months)
  • Helping Your Baby Grow (6–11 Months)
• Toddlers
  • Helping Your Toddler Learn About Food (1–2 Years)
  • Teaching Your Child About Food (3–4 Years)
• Tweens
  • Helping Your Child Eat Healthy Foods and Be Ready to Learn (5–7 Years)
  • Helping Your Child Make Healthy Food Choices (8–10 Years)
  • Discover Your Child’s Activity Level
• Teens
  • Helping Your Teenager Make Healthy Food Choices (11–21 Years)
  • Food on the Run: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity For Your Teenager

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