Talking with Your Children About Weight
and Health
Discussion ToolKit
Weigh In Facilitator Handbook
Table of Contents
Purpose ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
What’s Inside? ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Getting Started & Tips for Hosting a Discussion ..................................................................................................... 4
Your “Weigh In” Discussion Timeline ...................................................................................................................... 5
Additional Questions ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Need Your Feedback!! ........................................................................................................................................... 10
2
Purpose
The materials included in this kit have been created to help you host a discussion with parents on how to talk with their children about weight and health. The goal is to prepare parents to share important health information with their children and to address questions their children may ask.
3
What’s Inside? Inside this kit:
Weigh In: Talking to Your Children about Weight + Health We’ve provided one printed copy of this free guide in both Spanish and English. Electronic versions are saved on the enclosed USB flash drive and also are available online at www.weighinonobesity.org.
PowerPoint slide presentation, Talking with your Children about Weight + Health We’ve developed an easy to follow presentation to guide your discussion along with slide-by-slide notes that are included in the “Your Weigh In Discussion” section below. An electronic version is saved on the enclosed USB flash drive and also is available online at www.weighinonobesity.org.
Weigh In Postcards 20 postcards with Weigh In guide details and website address to hand out at your meeting.
Act Locally: A Guide to Philadelphia Resources for Families You can make copies of this printed guide for your meeting guests. An electronic version is saved on the enclosed USB flash drive and also is available online at www.weighinonobesity.org.
A USB flash drive with all of the above materials.
RESOURCES
HANDOUTS
TECHNOLOGY
4
Getting Started & Tips for Hosting a Discussion
Get the word out. Send an email or invitation to a group of people (friends, neighbors or people you know from a community center, worksite, place of worship or your child’s school). We suggest that you keep the group to no more than 15 people, so everyone can have a chance to speak.
Set the date and time. Choose a convenient time and location. There may be space at a local school, library, rec center, place of worship or company. If your group is small, a local coffee house might be a good spot to meet. Note that the Weigh In discussion is designed to be a one-hour long meeting.
Prepare for the talk. Read through the materials and review the slides so you will feel confident and prepared to lead the discussion.
Everyone gets a turn. One of the most important parts of the meeting is to make sure everyone can contribute. Make sure all the parents have a chance to talk. And feel free to share your own experiences if and when it is appropriate.
Have fun! The topic is serious, but it is best if parents leave feeling positive and supported with information. Keep things upbeat, smile and have fun!
5
Your “Weigh In” Discussion Timeline Below are slide-by-slide guidelines that coordinate with the PowerPoint presentation. Also provided is a recommended amount of time you might spend on each slide. You know your audience best, so trust your own judgment about how to pace your discussion.
The bolded bullet points below match the headlines on each slide.
5 MINUTES Before We Get Started
A good start is to have an “ice breaker” question to help people get to know one another. Ask each person to share:
His/her name
What was your favorite childhood game to play?
2 MINUTES What We’ll Discuss Today
This slide will establish what you intend to cover. The talk is broken up into 6 areas:
The Challenges of Talking with Children About Weight and Health
A New Guide That’s Here to Help
Tips for Talking With Children about Weight and Health
Let’s Talk – What Would You Say?
Local Places Where We Can Take Action
The KEY to a Good Talk
5 MINUTES What do you think parents say is the most difficult conversation to have with their child?
This question is meant for the meeting attendees to provide their thoughts.
1 MINUTE Believe It Or Not…
This slide reveals what may be the unexpected answer that:
A WebMD Health survey found that parents of teens find it more difficult to talk about weight with their child than talking about sex, drugs, alcohol or smoking!
6
3 MINUTES Why do you think parents find it so hard to talk with children about weight?
This provides an opportunity for parents in room to talk provide their thoughts on why it’s so hard to discuss weight.
You will want to listen carefully to the group’s responses, and even write down what people say on a flip chart or white board if there is one in the room.
5 MINUTES Some Reasons Parents Give for Not Wanting to Answer a Child’s Question About Weight
This is a list of what researchers have found to be common reasons parents say talking about weight with their child is difficult.
Read aloud some of the common reasons (listed on the slide):
“I don’t know what normal weight is.”
“I don’t think my child has obesity. I think she/he is beautiful.”
“If I talk with my child about weight, he/she may develop an eating disorder.”
“I have tried, but nothing works.”
“I am tired of being the food police”
Feel free to pause here and have some further discussion about how the parents in the room feel about these reasons. Can they relate to these responses?
2 MINUTES True or False and Answers – You Are Not Alone
The next two slides help show that parents may or may not have the right answers, but they’re not alone.
True or False – You can do a show of hands for true/false for each statement:
There are many guides and resources available for parents who need help talking with their children about weight.
Most parents do not know what to say to their child about weight or how weight can affect their health.
Only 1 in 100 children in America are overweight or obese.
Answers – You Are Not Alone – this reveals the answers:
There are many guides and resources available for parents who need help talking with their children about weight. ANSWER: False - VERY FEW guides exist to help parents.
Most parents do not know what to say to their child about weight or how weight can affect their health. ANSWER: True - Most parents struggle with what to say and how to say it. And they don’t know where to turn for help.
Only 1 in 100 children in America are overweight or obese. ANSWER: False - ONE in EVERY THREE children in America are overweight or obese.
1 MINUTE A New, Free Guide Helps Parents Answer Tough Questions About Weight
This slide allows you to introduce the Weigh In guide to the parents. You can briefly highlight the guide as:
A free, online conversation guide geared to parents of children ages 7-11.
A tool that offers practical information on how to compassionately respond to real-world scenarios about weight and health including:
BMI Confusion
Cultural Differences
Body Image
Bullying
Weight Bias
Inter-family Weight Differences
Parental Obesity
If appropriate, you can also note that the guide is also available in Spanish.
7
2 MINUTES Tips for Talking to Your Kids About Weight
This slide provides some helpful ways for parents to have a productive and engaging conversation with their children about weight. If possible, you may want to ask different participants to read the tips, one at a time:
Be Positive and Supportive. – Supporting a child helps him/her to build confidence and self-esteem, no matter what the situation.
Be Realistic and Specific. – Taking small steps helps make any goal – whether health or otherwise – seem possible. And it’s important for parents to be specific about what to do. After all, the more specific you are with your child, the more things are likely to get done. For example it’s like the difference between telling your child, “Your room is a mess. Clean it up.” versus, “Your room is a mess. Please put your shoes in the closet and make your bed.”
Keep the Conversation Open. – Parents should ask open-ended questions and ask kids how they feel. It may help children feel that it’s ok to speak openly.
Highlight Health. – Perhaps one of the biggest lessons that a parent can learn is that weight is an issue of health, not how a person looks. Talking about extra weight should be no different than talking to your kids about other health issues kids may have, like asthma or ADHD.
5 MINUTES So, Let’s Talk
This slide is a question to ask the meeting attendees to get their first reaction on how they would react to a difficult situation. You will read the text on the slide to set up the topic of discussion for the group:
What would you say if: Your child is behaving badly, acting withdrawn and says he doesn’t want to go to school. When you ask why, he says that a bunch of kids have been teasing him and calling him fat and ugly.
Gather responses from the group.
1 MINUTE A Little Bit About Bullying
This slide is meant to provide some brief facts on bullying including:
Bullying has gotten worse over the years.
A main reason for bullying at school is weight. Weight teasing is more common than teasing for sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, physical disability or religion.
Bullying is not just about letting kids be kids. The consequences of bullying can follow a child into adulthood.
There are MANY resources available to help guide parents on ways to help a child who is being teased
8
10 MINUTES “Weigh In” Talking Tips (Slides 14-19)
These slides include suggested talking points that parents may use if they believe their children are being bullied about their weight. You’ll notice that the points follow the Tips from the previous slides. You can have members of the group take turns reading the points on a given slide, or read them aloud yourself. Please let parents know that these points are not meant to serve as a script, but rather ideas for how to use the tips in guiding what to say.
First, Be Positive and Supportive
I’m so sorry this is happening and I’m really glad you told me. Teasing is not fair and is wrong. It really can hurt your feelings.
One of the hardest things about teasing is that they are talking about your weight in terms of how you look. They are making you feel like how much you weigh is a measure of who you are as a person.
And it is not.
You are…
(List some positive things about your child, like, caring, a good friend, smart, a hard worker…)
Second, Highlight Health
Weight is a measure of your health and carrying extra weight can hurt your health.
I love you and I don’t have a problem with how you look, but as your parent, I’m concerned that you are carrying around extra weight and this can hurt your health. It can also mean that you don’t have as much energy or get to do the things that you really like to do.
Carrying extra weight means your body has to work harder than it needs to. Just like when you don’t like it when your teacher gives you extra homework, your body doesn’t like to do more work than it has to.
If we can help your body stop overworking, we can make sure you have enough energy to do things that you like to do and what makes you happy like (ideas here).
Third, Keep the Conversation Open
How do you feel about your weight?
Remember, when you’re carrying around extra weight, it’s not about how you look; it’s about how you feel.
Let’s talk about how we might get to a weight that’s healthiest for you and helps make it easier to do the things you want to do.
Fourth, Be Realistic
Losing extra weight is not easy for anyone, especially for someone your age. It’s also very hard to do alone. There are a lot of things that can get in the way of healthy eating and getting enough physical activity every day.
Ask for examples specific to your community, home or family routine that might present a problem.
But, it’s really important, so let’s work on it together.
Be Specific
What are some things that we can do together to get healthy? Let’s pick a couple…
Do you think we could increase the number of minutes we are active every day?
Could we play more together and play more outside?
How about shopping for healthy foods as a family?
Do you think we could increase the numbers of fruits and vegetables we eat?
Would you like to help me cook dinner a couple of nights a week?
9
5 MINUTES Healthy Places to Go, Things to Do in Philly
This slide introduces the Act Locally guide that is included in your Toolkit and is available online. The guide lists just some of the ways to get healthy in the area and includes the ideas listed on the slide:
Increase the number of minutes of physical activity in a day
Check out the Schuylkill River Trail, a bike path with an eight-mile loop between Center City and East Falls. From Schuylkill Banks to East Falls, the trail is a wide paved surface suitable for rollerblading, walking, running and cycling.
Create family play time and increase outdoor play time
Head to Fairmount Park to access its many biking and walking trails.
Shop for or find healthy meals as a family
Find out whether there is a Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store near you. Food stamps/SNAP are accepted at over 350 healthy corner stores.
Increase fruit and vegetable consumption
Shop at farmers markets like those organized by “Farm to City.” See a map of Philadelphia Farmer’s Markets here.
Prepare Family Meals Together
Sign up for Sunday Suppers, an innovative family-oriented meal program in West Kensington sponsored by the nonprofit SHARE Food Program.
In partnership with West Kensington Ministry, Sunday Suppers provides healthy shared dinners, increased access to fresh local food and other food related support to families in the Norris Square area of Philadelphia.
Note: Feel free to pause here to discuss some other resources available in the area that may be suggested by the group. If people have additions they would like to make to the guide, they can email them to [email protected].
2 MINUTES Final Thoughts and Reminder KEY
This slide is meant to sum up your talk. Be sure to thank everyone for participating. Ask parents to remember this KEY when talking with their child about weight and health:
KEEP in mind that weight is about your child’s health not how he/she looks, and tell your child that often
EXCITE your child about getting healthy, even though it’s going to take some changes and hard work
YOU are going to be there for your child, working together since he/she will need your help. A child can’t do this alone.
1 MINUTE www.WeighInOnObesity.org
This slide just provides the final closing with the website where the guide can be found online.
10
Additional Questions The below questions can be used if you’ve gotten through all the material on the slides and want to talk some more with your group:
1. What do you think are other health problems that can come along with having too much weight?
2. Are you surprised that weight teasing is more common than teasing over race/ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion? Why or Why not?
3. A child with obesity is 10 times more likely to become an adult with obesity? Do you think this matters? Why or Why not?
Need Your Feedback!! Hearing from you is the most important way to help us continue to make a difference. Email us at [email protected] and let us know what worked and what didn’t. We’ll use your feedback to make improvements.
1
2
Wha
t w
as y
our
favo
rite
ch
ildho
od g
ame
to p
lay?
3
I.Th
e Ch
alle
nges
of T
alki
ng w
ith C
hild
ren
Abo
ut W
eigh
t and
Hea
lth
II.A
New
Gui
de T
hat’s
Her
e to
Hel
p
III.
Tips
for T
alki
ng W
ith C
hild
ren
abou
t Wei
ght
and
Hea
lth
IV.
Let’s
Tal
k –
Wha
t Wou
ld y
ou S
ay?
V.Lo
cal P
lace
s W
here
We
Can
Take
Act
ion
VI.
The
KEY
to a
Goo
d Ta
lk
4
5
A re
cent
sur
vey
said
par
ents
of
teen
s fin
d it
mor
e di
ffic
ult
to ta
lk a
bout
WEI
GH
T w
ith
thei
r ch
ild t
han:
Sex
Dru
gs
Alc
ohol
Smok
ing
6
Wha
t do
you
thin
k?
Can
you
rela
te to
any
of t
hese
resp
onse
s?
? 7
“I d
on’t
kno
w w
hat n
orm
al w
eigh
t is.”
“I d
on’t
thin
k m
y ch
ild h
as o
besi
ty. I
thin
k he
/she
is b
eaut
iful.”
“If I
talk
with
my
child
abo
ut w
eigh
t, h
e/sh
e m
ay d
evel
op
an
eatin
g di
sord
er.”
“I h
ave
trie
d, b
ut n
othi
ng w
orks
.”
“I a
m ti
red
of b
eing
the
food
pol
ice.
”
1.Th
ere
are
man
y gu
ides
and
re
sour
ces
avai
labl
e fo
r pa
rent
s w
ho n
eed
help
talk
ing
with
thei
r ch
ildre
n ab
out w
eigh
t.
2.M
ost p
aren
ts d
o no
t kno
w w
hat t
o sa
y to
thei
r chi
ld a
bout
wei
ght o
r ho
w w
eigh
t can
aff
ect t
heir
hea
lth.
3.O
nly
1 in
100
chi
ldre
n in
Am
eric
a ar
e ov
erw
eigh
t or
obes
e.
8
9
1.Th
ere
are
man
y gu
ides
and
reso
urce
s av
aila
ble
for
pare
nts
who
nee
d he
lp
talk
ing
with
thei
r ch
ildre
n ab
out
wei
ght.
VER
Y FE
W g
uide
s ex
ist t
o he
lp
pare
nts.
FA
LSE
Mos
t par
ents
str
uggl
e w
ith
wha
t to
sa
y an
d ho
w to
say
it. A
nd th
ey
don’
t kno
w w
here
to tu
rn fo
r he
lp.
ON
E in
EV
ERY
THRE
E ch
ildre
n in
A
mer
ica
are
over
wei
ght o
r ob
ese.
FA
LSE
TR
UE
2.
Mos
t par
ents
do
not k
now
wha
t to
say
to th
eir
child
abo
ut w
eigh
t or
how
wei
ght c
an a
ffec
t the
ir h
ealth
.
3.O
nly
1 in
100
chi
ldre
n in
Am
eric
a ar
e ov
erw
eigh
t or
obes
e.
Conv
ersa
tion
guid
e ge
ared
to p
aren
ts a
nd
care
give
rs
Offe
rs p
ract
ical
info
rmat
ion
on h
ow to
co
mpa
ssio
nate
ly re
spon
d to
real
-wor
ld s
cena
rios
ab
out w
eigh
t and
hea
lth in
clud
ing:
Get
gui
de fo
r fre
e at
ww
w.W
eigh
InO
nObe
sity
.org
“Wei
gh In
– T
alki
ng to
you
r ch
ildre
n
abou
t wei
ght
+ he
alth
”
10
–BM
I Con
fusi
on
–Cu
ltura
l Diff
eren
ces
–Bo
dy Im
age
–Bu
llyin
g
–W
eigh
t Bia
s
–In
ter-
fam
ily W
eigh
t D
iffer
ence
s
–Pa
rent
al O
besi
ty
11
Be P
osit
ive
an
d
Supp
orti
ve
Be R
ealis
tic
and
Spec
ific
Keep
the
Co
nver
sati
on
Ope
n
Hig
hlig
ht
Hea
lth
Supp
ortin
g a
child
hel
ps h
im/h
er to
bui
ld c
onfid
ence
and
sel
f est
eem
, no
mat
ter
wha
t the
situ
atio
n.
Taki
ng s
mal
l ste
ps h
elps
mak
e an
y go
al –
whe
ther
hea
lth o
r ot
herw
ise
– se
em p
ossi
ble.
And
it’s
impo
rtan
t for
par
ents
to b
e sp
ecifi
c ab
out w
hat t
o do
. A
fter
all,
the
mor
e sp
ecifi
c yo
u ar
e w
ith y
our
child
, the
mor
e th
ings
ar
e lik
ely
to g
et d
one.
For
exa
mpl
e it
’s li
ke th
e di
ffer
ence
bet
wee
n te
lling
yo
ur c
hild
, “Yo
ur ro
om is
a m
ess.
Cle
an it
up.
” ve
rsus
, “Yo
ur ro
om is
a
mes
s. P
leas
e pu
t you
r sh
oes
in th
e cl
oset
and
mak
e yo
ur b
ed.”
Pare
nts
shou
ld a
sk o
pen-
ende
d qu
estio
ns a
nd a
sk k
ids
how
they
feel
. It
m
ay h
elp
child
ren
feel
that
it’s
ok
to s
peak
ope
nly.
Perh
aps
one
of th
e bi
gges
t les
sons
that
a p
aren
t can
lear
n is
that
w
eigh
t is
an is
sue
of h
ealth
, not
how
a p
erso
n lo
oks.
Ta
lkin
g ab
out
extr
a w
eigh
t sho
uld
be n
o di
ffer
ent t
han
talk
ing
to y
our
kids
abo
ut
othe
r he
alth
issu
es k
ids
may
hav
e, li
ke a
sthm
a or
AD
HD
.
12
Your
chi
ld is
beh
avin
g ba
dly
or
actin
g w
ithdr
awn
and
says
he
does
n’t w
ant t
o go
to s
choo
l. W
hen
you
ask
why
, he
says
that
a
bunc
h of
kid
s ha
ve b
een
teas
ing
him
and
cal
ling
him
fat a
nd u
gly.
Wha
t w
ould
you
say
if…
13
Bully
ing
has
gott
en w
orse
ove
r th
e ye
ars.
A m
ain
reas
on fo
r bul
lyin
g at
sch
ool i
s w
eigh
t. W
eigh
t tea
sing
is m
ore
com
mon
th
an te
asin
g fo
r sex
ual o
rien
tatio
n,
race
/eth
nici
ty, p
hysi
cal d
isab
ility
or
relig
ion.
Bully
ing
is n
ot ju
st a
bout
lett
ing
kids
be
kids
. The
con
sequ
ence
s of
bul
lyin
g ca
n fo
llow
a c
hild
into
adu
lthoo
d.
Ther
e ar
e M
AN
Y re
sour
ces
avai
labl
e to
he
lp g
uide
par
ents
on
way
s to
hel
p a
child
who
is b
eing
teas
ed.
14
Now
, let
’s ta
ke a
look
at h
ow a
par
ent m
ight
resp
ond
to th
e
bully
ing
situ
atio
n w
ith
the
“Wei
gh In
” Ti
ps.
Be P
osit
ive
an
d
Supp
orti
ve
Be R
ealis
tic
and
Spec
ific
Keep
the
Co
nver
sati
on
Ope
n
Hig
hlig
ht
Hea
lth
15
Be P
osit
ive
an
d
Supp
orti
ve
I’m s
o so
rry
this
is h
appe
ning
and
I’m
real
ly g
lad
you
told
me.
Tea
sing
is n
ot fa
ir a
nd is
wro
ng. I
t rea
lly c
an
hurt
you
r fe
elin
gs.
One
of t
he h
arde
st th
ings
abo
ut te
asin
g is
that
they
ar
e ta
lkin
g ab
out y
our
wei
ght i
n te
rms
of h
ow y
ou
look
. The
y ar
e m
akin
g yo
u fe
el li
ke h
ow m
uch
you
wei
gh is
a m
easu
re o
f who
you
are
as
a pe
rson
.
And
it is
not
.
You
are…
(list
som
e po
sitiv
e th
ings
abo
ut y
our
child
, lik
e,
cari
ng, a
goo
d fr
iend
, sm
art,
a h
ard
wor
ker…
)
16
Hig
hlig
ht
Hea
lth
Wei
ght i
s a
mea
sure
of y
our
heal
th a
nd c
arry
ing
extr
a w
eigh
t can
hur
t you
r he
alth
.
I lov
e yo
u an
d I d
on’t
hav
e a
prob
lem
with
how
you
lo
ok, b
ut a
s yo
ur p
aren
t, I’
m c
once
rned
tha
t you
are
ca
rryi
ng a
roun
d ex
tra
wei
ght a
nd th
is c
an h
urt y
our
heal
th. I
t can
als
o m
ean
that
you
don
’t h
ave
as m
uch
ener
gy o
r ge
t to
do th
e th
ings
that
you
real
ly li
ke to
do.
Carr
ying
ext
ra w
eigh
t mea
ns y
our
body
has
to w
ork
hard
er th
an it
nee
ds to
. Jus
t lik
e w
hen
you
don’
t lik
e it
whe
n yo
ur te
ache
r gi
ves
you
extr
a ho
mew
ork,
you
r bo
dy d
oesn
’t li
ke to
do
mor
e w
ork
than
it h
as to
.
If w
e ca
n he
lp y
our
body
sto
p ov
erw
orki
ng, w
e ca
n m
ake
sure
you
hav
e en
ough
ene
rgy
to d
o th
ings
that
yo
u lik
e to
do
and
wha
t mak
es y
ou h
appy
like
(ide
as
here
).
17
Keep
the
Co
nver
sati
on
Ope
n
How
do
you
feel
abo
ut y
our
wei
ght?
Rem
embe
r, w
hen
you’
re c
arry
ing
arou
nd e
xtra
wei
ght,
it
’s n
ot a
bout
how
you
look
, it’s
abo
ut h
ow y
ou fe
el.
Let’s
talk
abo
ut h
ow w
e m
ight
get
to a
wei
ght t
hat’s
he
alth
iest
for
you
and
help
s m
ake
it ea
sier
to d
o th
e th
ings
you
wan
t to
do.
18
Be
Real
isti
c
Losi
ng e
xtra
wei
ght i
s no
t eas
y fo
r an
yone
, esp
ecia
lly
for s
omeo
ne y
our
age.
It’s
als
o ve
ry h
ard
to d
o al
one.
Th
ere
are
a lo
t of t
hing
s th
at c
an g
et in
the
way
of
heal
thy
eatin
g an
d ge
ttin
g en
ough
phy
sica
l act
ivity
ev
ery
day.
Ask
for
exam
ples
spe
cific
to y
our
com
mun
ity,
hom
e or
fam
ily ro
utin
e th
at m
ight
pre
sent
a
prob
lem
.
But,
it’s
real
ly im
port
ant,
so
let’s
wor
k on
it to
geth
er.
Wha
t are
som
e th
ings
that
we
can
do to
geth
er to
get
he
alth
y? L
et’s
pic
k a
coup
le…
Do
you
thin
k w
e co
uld
incr
ease
the
num
ber
of m
inut
es
we
are
activ
e ev
ery
day?
Coul
d w
e pl
ay m
ore
toge
ther
and
pla
y m
ore
outs
ide?
How
abo
ut s
hopp
ing
for
heal
thy
food
s as
a fa
mily
?
Do
you
thin
k w
e co
uld
incr
ease
the
num
bers
of f
ruits
an
d ve
geta
bles
we
eat?
Wou
ld y
ou li
ke to
hel
p m
e co
ok d
inne
r a
coup
le o
f ni
ghts
a w
eek?
19
Be
Spec
ific
20
Incr
ease
the
num
ber o
f min
utes
of p
hysi
cal a
ctiv
ity
in a
day
Chec
k ou
t the
Sch
uylk
ill R
iver
Tra
il, a
bik
e pa
th
with
an
eigh
t-m
ile lo
op b
etw
een
Cent
er C
ity a
nd
East
Fal
ls. F
rom
Sch
uylk
ill B
anks
to E
ast F
alls
, the
tr
ail i
s a
wid
e pa
ved
surf
ace
suita
ble
for
rolle
rbla
ding
, wal
king
, run
ning
and
cyc
ling.
Crea
te fa
mily
pla
y ti
me
and
incr
ease
out
door
pla
y ti
me Hea
d to
Fai
rmou
nt P
ark
to a
cces
s its
man
y bi
king
and
wal
king
trai
ls.
Shop
for o
r fin
d he
alth
y m
eals
as
a fa
mily
Find
out
whe
ther
ther
e is
a P
hila
delp
hia
Hea
lthy
Corn
er S
tore
nea
r you
. Foo
d st
amps
/SN
AP
are
acce
pted
at o
ver 3
50 h
ealth
y co
rner
sto
res.
Incr
ease
frui
t and
veg
etab
le c
onsu
mpt
ion
Shop
at f
arm
ers
mar
kets
like
thos
e or
gani
zed
by “
Farm
to C
ity.”
See
a m
ap o
f Ph
ilade
lphi
a Fa
rmer
’s M
arke
ts h
ere.
Prep
are
Fam
ily M
eals
Tog
ethe
r
Sign
up
for S
unda
y Su
pper
s, a
n in
nova
tive
fam
ily-o
rien
ted
mea
l pro
gram
in W
est
Kens
ingt
on s
pons
ored
by
the
nonp
rofit
SH
ARE
Foo
d Pr
ogra
m.
In p
artn
ersh
ip w
ith W
est K
ensi
ngto
n M
inis
try,
Sun
day
Supp
ers
prov
ides
hea
lthy
shar
ed d
inne
rs, i
ncre
ased
acc
ess
to fr
esh
loca
l foo
d an
d ot
her
food
rela
ted
supp
ort t
o fa
mili
es in
the
Nor
ris
Squa
re a
rea
of
Phila
delp
hia.
Take
n fr
om a
Loc
al G
uide
Cre
ated
Just
for
You
21
KEEP
in m
ind
that
wei
ght i
s ab
out y
our
child
’s h
ealth
not
how
he/
she
look
s, a
nd
tell
your
chi
ld th
at o
ften
K
EXCI
TE y
our c
hild
abo
ut g
ettin
g he
alth
y,
even
thou
gh it
’s g
oing
to ta
ke s
ome
chan
ges
and
hard
wor
k
YOU
are
goi
ng to
be
ther
e fo
r you
r chi
ld,
wor
king
toge
ther
sin
ce h
e/sh
e w
ill n
eed
your
hel
p. A
chi
ld c
an’t
do
this
alo
ne.
Y
E
Rem
embe
r thi
s si
mpl
e KE
Y w
hen
talk
ing
wit
h yo
ur c
hild
abo
ut w
eigh
t and
hea
lth
“Wei
gh In
– T
alki
ng to
you
r chi
ldre
n
abou
t wei
ght
+ he
alth
”
22
Bam!
Be Well – Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Be A Healthy Role Model – MyPlate.gov
BodyWorks Women’s Health
Childhood Obesity: It’s Everyone’s Business – National Business Group
on Health
Circulation: Evaluating Parents and Adult Caregivers as “Agents of Change” for Treating Obese Children – American Heart Association
Fit for Parents – WebMD/Sanford Health Systems
FitKids
Healthy Youth: Obesity Facts
How to Talk to Your Kids About Weight Bias
Is Your Child a Target of Weight Bias?
Kid’s Corner
Let’s Move!
New Moves: Evidence-based Physical Education Program for Girls –
Parents: About Weight Bias
StopBullying.gov – Department of Health & Human Services
Talking to Your Kids about Weight
Weight: A Big Issue?
Weight Bias: Important Information for Parents
Weight Control Information Network
Resources guide
Act Locally: A Guide to Philadelphia Resources for Families
Many parents struggle with how to discuss weight and health with their children. “” is a free guide developed by the Strategies to Overcome and
Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation that offers parents “real-world” situations and plain language responses to questions they may get from their children. You can view the guide at http://weighinonobesity.org. While the guide includes recommendations on what to say, this resource is meant to help turn those recommendations into Philadelphia-specific activities. Below are some suggestions of resourcesavailable to all Philadelphia families. For even more ideas, we suggest visiting Food Fit Philly (http://foodfitphilly.org) and CAP4Kids (http://www.cap4kids.org/philadelphia) for additional resources. Have another idea? Email us at [email protected]. Increase the number of minutes of physical activity in a day
Encourage children to participate in physical activity clubs before, during and after school. Start on-going walking initiatives at your child’s school. Safe Routes Philly outlines several methods and types of walking activities that students at your school can use for transportation and fitness.
Safe Routes Philly: http://saferoutesphilly.org/ Phone: (215) 242-9253 Ext. 309
Check out the Schuylkill River Trail, a bike path with an eight-mile loop between Center City and East Falls. From Schuylkill Banks to East Falls, the trail is a wide paved surface suitable for rollerblading, walking, running and cycling.
Schuylkill River Trail: http://www.schuylkillrivertrail.com/ Phone: (215) 683-0200 Printable map of trails: http://www.schuylkillrivertrail.com/pdfs/Phila_section.pdf
Take the family to Franklin Square, which was recently named one of the top five playgrounds in the United States by Yahoo.com! Franklin Square features the Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel, a Philadelphia-themed miniature golf course and playgrounds centered around the Franklin Square fountain.
Franklin Square: http://www.historicphiladelphia.org Address: 200 N 6th St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Phone: (215) 629-4026
Try out the renovated Seger Park Playground. The park regularly holds family-friendly community events and features tennis courts, a dog run, basketball courts and a recreation center.
Seger Park Playground: http://friendsofseger.org/ Address: 1020 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Phone: (267) 507-5558
Create family play time and increase outdoor play time
Head to Fairmount Park to access its many biking and walking trails. Fairmont Park: http://www.visitphilly.com/outdoor-activities/philadelphia/fairmount-park/
Address: 1 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, PA 19130 Phone: (215) 683-0200
Don’t have access to a bike at home? Rent one from Wheel Fun Rentals at various parks and locations across the city.
Wheel Fun Rentals: http://www.wheelfunrentals.com/Locations/Philadelphia Address: 1 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, PA 19130 Phone: (215) 232-7778 or (805) 650-7770
Skip the heat in the summer and head to a public swimming pool near you. Philadelphia swimming pools allow free access to any individual during operating hours in the summer (Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m.). The swimming pools offer swimming lessons and family swim.
City of Philadelphia Pools: http://www.phila.gov/ParksandRecreation/placestogo/facilities/Pages/SwimmingPools.aspx Find the pool closest to you using this tool: http://www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation/findafacility/
Take the family to play in the 16,000 square foot (the size of six football fields!) Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse, located in East Fairmount Park and was designed solely as a play space for children. Smith provides opportunities for unstructured creative play for children 10 and younger. Smith maintains a proud tradition of free family admission. Tuesdays are reserved just for family fun. Check out other free events at Smith here.
Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse: http://smithkidsplayplace.org/ Address: 3500 Reservoir Drive, East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA 19121-1095 Phone: (215) 765-4325 [email protected]
Looking for a fun activity in the winter? Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, in partnership with Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, owns and operates five ice rinks throughout the city. The ice rinks are open to the public seven days a week. There is a $3 skate rental fee.
Philadelphia Ice Rinks: http://www.phila.gov/ParksandRecreation/placestogo/facilities/Pages/IceRinks.aspx
Blue Cross River Rink at Penn's Landing 201 S Columbus Blvd 215-925-7465
Laura Sims Skate House 63rd &Walnut 215-685-1995
Rizzo Ice Rink 1001 South Front Street 215-685-1593
Scanlon Ice Rink 1099 East Tioga Street 215-685-9893
Simons Ice Rink 7200 Woolston Avenue 215-685-3551
Tarken Ice Rink 6250 Frontenac Street 215-685-1226
Shop for or find healthy meals as a family
Find out whether there is a Philadelphia Healthy Corner Store near you. SNAP are accepted at over 350 healthy corner stores.
Food Fit Philly Eat Healthy: http://www.foodfitphilly.org/eat-healthy/ List of Healthy Corner Stores that accept ACCESS cards/SNAP: http://www.foodfitphilly.org/FOODFITPHILLY/assets/File/Healthy%20corner%20stores%20SNAP%207_6_12.pdf
Learn about the Philly Food Bucks program to help you save money on fruits and vegetables. Philly Food Bucks are accepted at over 25 farmers' markets in low-income communities in Philadelphia. You must have a current ACCESS card/food stamps to use Philly Foods Bucks.
Food Fit Philly - Philly Food Bucks: http://www.foodfitphilly.org/eat-healthy/philly-food-bucks/
Visit Reading Terminal, Philadelphia’s historic farmer’s market, where you can find fresh vegetables and produce, meats and seafood. The Terminal offers one-stop shopping for healthy eating there or to take home.
Learn more here: http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/ Order a box of fresh produce from SHARE Food Program’s Farm to Families initiative from local farmers at a cost of only $10 or $15. Boxes are brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables, often valued at double the purchase price. Additional fresh a la carte items including eggs, meat and seafood are also offered at affordable prices.
SHARE Food Program’s Farm to Families Program: http://sharefoodprogram.org/programs/farm-to-families/ Address: 2901 W. Hunting Park Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144 Phone: (215) 223-2220 [email protected]
Increase fruit and vegetable consumption
Download the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s free Nutrition in the Kitchen Cookbook and try out some healthy recipes.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Nutrition in the Kitchen Cookbook: http://www.chop.edu/service/healthy-weight-program/cookbook-of-healthy-recipes.html
Download the CAP4Kids fresh food parenting handouts on topics like food and nutrition. Within each handout, you will find a description of the social service agency, their address, phone number and website.
CAP4Kids Parenting Handout on Fresh Food Resources: http://cap4kids.org/philadelphia/parent-handouts/food-nutrition-breastfeeding/fresh-food-resources/
Shop at farmer’s markets that accept access/SNAP. You can find a list of those here: http://www.foodfitphilly.org/FOODFITPHILLY/assets/File/Snap_Access_2012.pdf
Shop at farmers markets like those organized by Farm to City. Farm to City: http://www.farmtocity.org/index.asp Address: 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 1526, Philadelphia PA 19107 Phone: (215) 733-9599 Phone Map of Philadelphia Farmer’s Markets: http://batchgeo.com/map/phillyfarmersmarkets
Prepare Family Meals Together
Visit one of the Philadelphia community gardens near you. Philadelphia Community Gardens: http://pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/phlgreen/current-communitygardens.html Address: 100 N. 20th Street - 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: (215) 988-8800
Sign up for SHARE Food Program’s Sunday Suppers, an innovative family-oriented meal program in West Kensington sponsored by the nonprofit SHARE Food Program. In partnership with West Kensington Ministry, Sunday Suppers provides healthy shared dinners, increased access to fresh local food and other food related support to families in the Norris Square area of Philadelphia.
SHARE Food Program Sunday Suppers: http://sharefoodprogram.org/programs/sunday-suppers/ Address: 2901 W. Hunting Park Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144 Phone: (215) 223-2220 [email protected]
Check out the healthy family recipes compiled by the Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and Kohl’s Department Store as part of Kohl’s Healthy Choices for Healthy Families initiative.
Kohl’s Healthy Choices for Healthy Families Healthy Recipes (scroll down to #3): http://www2.med.psu.edu/cnap/families/kohlshealthyfamilies/ Plan and track family meals with this chart: http://www2.med.psu.edu/cnap/files/2012/05/Tracker-3-meals-a-day.pdf
Get involved with the Philly Girls in Motion program, which in addition to offering fitness activities for girls 9-16 and their families, offers specially designed nutrition lessons. There are monthly sessions for the whole family on important topics including “Healthy Cooking Tips,” “Meals on the Go” and “Simple Substitutions.”
Philly Girls in Motion: http://www.phillygirlsinmotion.org/ Phone: (610) 357-7446 [email protected]
Wei
gh In
: A c
onve
rsat
ion
gu
ide
for p
aren
ts a
nd
adu
lt c
areg
iver
s of
chi
ldre
n.
How
do
you
resp
ond
w
hen
you
r ch
ild:
ww
w.W
eigh
InO
nO
bes
ity.
org
asks
yo
u if
yo
u th
ink
he/
she
is fa
t?is
bei
ng
bul
lied
at
sch
oo
l bec
ause
of
wei
ght?
• C
ultu
ral D
iffer
ence
s
• B
od
y Im
age
• B
ully
ing
• B
MI C
onf
usio
n
• W
eigh
t Bi
as
• I
nter
-fam
ily W
eigh
t D
iffer
ence
s
• P
aren
tal O
bes
ity
Get
you
r fr
ee c
opy
of t
he W
eigh
In p
aren
t co
nver
sati
on
guid
e at
ww
w.W
eigh
InO
nOb
esit
y.o
rg.
It o
ffer
s pr
acti
cal
info
rmat
ion
on
how
to
co
mpa
ssio
nate
ly re
spo
nd t
o t
he
follo
win
g re
al-w
orl
d sc
enar
ios
abo
ut w
eigh
t an
d he
alth
: