Early childhood obesity prevention policies [electronic resource]/ Committee on Obesity Prevention Policies for Young Children ; Leann L. Birch, Lynn Parker, and Annina Burns, editors ; Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

"Early childhood obesity prevention policies."

The library does not hold this publication in hardcopy format.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Assessing risk for obesity in young children -- Physical activity -- Healthy eating -- Marketing and screen time -- Sleep -- Methods -- Emerging issues in early childhood obesity prevention.

Reviews factors related to overweight and obese children from birth to age 5, with a focus on nutrition, physical activity, and sedentary behavior, and recommends policies that can alter children's environments so that they promote the maintenance of healthy weight. Because the first years of life are important to health and well-being throughout the life span, preventing obesity in infants and young children can contribute to reversing the epidemic of obesity in children and adults. The report recommends that health care providers make parents aware of their child's excess weight early on. It also suggests that parents and child care providers keep children active throughout the day, provide them with healthy diets, limit screen time, and ensure children get adequate sleep.

Also available online in Open Book format via the National Academies Press home page.