Energize our 

Community:

TOOLKIT FOR ACTION
Energize our 

Community:

TOOLKIT FOR ACTION

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

National Cancer Institute

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1:

Introduction.................................................................................................. 1

Chapter 2:

We Can! People............................................................................................ 7

• We Can! Checklist: 1st P—People...................................................... 10

Chapter 3:

We Can! Programs...................................................................................... 11

• Program Assessment Checklist ............................................................ 18

• We Can! Checklist: 2nd P—Programs................................................ 20

Chapter 4:

We Can! Public Visibility and Working With Media .................................. 21

• We Can! Checklist: 3rd P—Public Visibility 

and Working With Media ...................................................................... 26

Chapter 5:

We Can! Partnering.................................................................................... 27

• A Partnership Plan ................................................................................ 32

• Assessing Ongoing Partnerships .......................................................... 34

• We Can! Checklist: 4th P—Partnering .............................................. 36

Appendix A: Programs............................................................................ 39

• Curriculum for Parents and Caregivers................................................ 41

• Community Events and Projects ........................................................ 167

Appendix B: Public Visibility .............................................................. 179

• Media Messages .................................................................................. 181

• Sample Print PSA (English and Spanish)............................................ 185

• Live Read Script (English) .................................................................. 185

• Live Read Script (Spanish).................................................................. 187

• We Can! Backgrounder .................................................................... 189

• Prototype Plan .................................................................................... 193

• Timeline and Checklist ...................................................................... 195

• Timeline and Checklist for Special Events ........................................ 197

• Encouraging the Media to Cover Your Event .................................... 201

• Sample Media Advisory ...................................................................... 203

• Sample Press Release.......................................................................... 205

• Sample Proclamation.......................................................................... 207

• Consent and Waiver Form .................................................................. 209

• Parent Consent Letters ...................................................................... 211

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Appendix C: Partners .......................................................................... 213

• Sample Invitation to Potential Partners.............................................. 215

• PowerPoint for Potential Partners ...................................................... 217

Appendix D: We Can! Resource Materials ...................................... 223

• We Can! Materials Order Form ........................................................ 225

• NHLBI Nutrition and Physical Activity Tip Sheets ............................ 233

• We Can! Logo Guidelines and Artwork ............................................ 235

• We Can! Reference List .................................................................... 241

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Chapter 1:

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to We Can! (Ways to

Enhance Children’s Activity &

Nutrition)— a collaboration between

the National Institutes of Health’s

(NIH) National Heart, Lung, and

Blood Institute (NHLBI), National

Institute of Diabetes and Digestive

and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),

National Institute of Child Health

and Human Development (NICHD),

and National Cancer Institute (NCI).

We Can! is a national public

education program to help prevent

overweight and obesity. The

program provides information and

activities that encourage improved

nutritional choices, increased physical

activity, and reduced screen time in

youth ages 8–13.

We Can!:

Responding to an

Urgent National Problem

It seems as though everywhere you

turn, someone is talking about the

epidemic of overweight and obesity

in America. Scientific organizations

are issuing reports; television and

newspapers are covering the story;

and weight loss plans are everywhere.

Why is everyone so concerned?

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One reason is that the number of

people—adults and children—who

are overweight or obese has increased

so rapidly in the past 30 years. It is

estimated that 65 percent of adults in

the United States are now overweight

or obese. In addition, since the early

1970s, the number of overweight

children ages 12–19 has doubled and

the number of overweight children

ages 6–11 has tripled. Today, more

than 16 percent of young people

ages 6–19 are overweight.

A second reason for concern is 

that the costs of obesity are so high,

both in the short-term and over the

long-term. In the short-term, being

overweight can be inconvenient or

uncomfortable. Clothes feel too

tight, it’s not easy for some to be

too active, and one can tire easily.

Over the long-term, overweight 

and obesity increase a person’s risk

of heart disease, stroke, diabetes,

arthritis, sleep disorders, and social

and psychological problems. One

trend that is particularly alarming is

the rapid increase in type 2 diabetes

among young people. Once almost

entirely a disease of adults, it is 

now estimated to account for 8 

to 45 percent of newly diagnosed

diabetes cases in children and

adolescents. Most cases of type 

2 diabetes in children occur in

those who are overweight.

A third reason for concern is that

some groups in the United States

are affected more severely than are

others. Some racial and ethnic

groups, people of lower

socioeconomic status, and people

who live in southern areas of the

country tend to have higher rates of

obesity than other groups, and

these differences have increased over

the last few years. 

As part of NIH, NHLBI leads a

national research program in diseases

of the heart, blood vessels, lungs,

and blood; sleep disorders; and

blood resources. NHLBI is actively

engaged in a number of programs

to reduce heart disease risk factors

and promote heart health. Obesity

is an important focus of NHLBI’s

activities because of its association

with heart disease, high blood

pressure, and sleep problems. In

1991, NHLBI launched the Obesity

Education Initiative. The overall

purpose of this initiative is to help

reduce the prevalence of overweight,

obesity, and physical inactivity so as

to decrease the number of people

who develop heart disease. 

Since 1999, NHLBI and the National

Recreation and Park Association

(NRPA) have collaborated on Hearts

N’ Parks, a community-based effort

to encourage heart healthy eating

and increased physical activity.

2

To find out more about

overweight and obesity 

in America, see the 

For More Information 

list on page 6.
Programs and materials for recreation

and park professionals to promote

heart healthy eating and increased

physical activity have been carried out

in summer day camps, afterschool

programs, senior centers, and

community outreach centers in 

50 Magnet Center sites and other

communities throughout the country.

We Can! is a natural outgrowth 

of this community-based effort. The

focus is to leverage lessons learned

and relationships established

through Hearts N’ Parks to extend

programming to more communities

throughout the country.

In early 2005, an NIH We Can!

Work Group was formed to initiate

the process of collaboration for 

We Can! programming across NIH

Institutes and Centers. As noted

above, the Work Group includes

NHLBI, NIDDK, NICHD, and NCI.

Each Institute has made a commitment

to promoting the need for America’s

youth to maintain a healthy weight

and has made valuable resources

available to the We Can! program.

See Appendix D for the materials

order form. 

We Can! Audiences 

We Can! is designed to reach young

people ages 8–13 and their parents

and primary caregivers. We Can!

is focused on children and teens

because preventing overweight and

obesity in the early years can help

young people stay healthy and can

help prevent health problems in

adulthood. We Can! will

encourage youth to:

• Choose a sufficient amount of 

a variety of fruits and vegetables

per day.

• Decrease consumption of high-fat

foods and energy-dense foods that

are low in nutrient value.

• Enjoy small portions at home and

at restaurants.

• Substitute water, fat-free milk, 

or low-fat milk for sweetened

beverages.

• Engage in at least 60 minutes 

of moderate physical activity 

on most—preferably all—days 

of the week.

• Reduce sedentary activity by

limiting screen time to no more

than 2 hours per day.

We Can! is focused on parents and

primary caregivers because they make

a big difference in what children think

and do. To a large extent, parents

control what their children eat and

how active they are. Parents and

primary caregivers also are important

role models. If they eat right and

are physically active, chances are

that their children will make these

choices, too. In a nutshell, parents

and primary caregivers are critical

“change agents” for issues around

food, physical activity, and weight.

Moreover, engaging parents as well

as children means that the whole

family is involved. That’s a big help

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because it’s hard to make changes

on one’s own. Creating family habits

around smart eating and physical

activity can make it easier for everyone

to maintain a healthy weight. 

Studies suggest that parents are

looking for help in managing weight

issues for their children and families.

Through programs, community events,

and materials, We Can! can help

parents and primary caregivers by

encouraging them to:

• Increase the availability and

accessibility of healthy foods 

in the home.

• Enjoy small portions at home 

and at restaurants.

• Limit the availability and

accessibility in the home of

sweetened beverages, high-fat

foods, and energy-dense foods

with low nutrient value.

• Support and enable family

physical activity.

• Support and enable reduced

screen time.

We Can! Elements

Developed with help from researchers

around the country and from NHLBI,

NIDDK, NICHD, NCI, public health

leaders, nutritionists and dietitians,

health communicators, youth

marketing experts, and community

centers nationwide, We Can! has

three major components: 

• COMMUNITY OUTREACH. Community

outreach is a key part of the 

We Can! program. Participating

community sites will receive online

access to all materials, including

the program poster, a handbook

designed for parents in both Spanish

and English, local press releases,

and other useful We Can! tools.

By participating as a community

site, you can extend the reach of

We Can! messages throughout

the country.

• NATIONAL MEDIA AND MESSAGES.

To assist your media efforts, 

We Can! has a variety of materials

in English and Spanish, such as

radio and print public service

advertisements, a brochure for

parents, and a consumer Web site.

In addition, NIH will conduct

national and local media outreach

to promote We Can! messages that

motivate youth and their parents

or primary caregivers to take

individual and community action

to maintain a healthy weight.

Media outreach will begin at the

launch of the campaign, but will be

sustained to ensure that parents and

caregivers are receiving practical

tips and tools to ultimately

improve their family’s health.

• PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

Recognizing the important role that

national and local organizations can

play in supporting and extending

program messages and strategies,

We Can! will work with a select

group of national organizations,

including health professional

associations, as well as corporate,

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media, and Federal partners, 

to reach We Can! audiences. 

The program will help partner

organizations tailor their programs

and promotions to include We Can!

materials, messages, and activities.

The Benefits of

Participating in 

We Can!

We Can! provides participating

community centers with access to 

a variety of materials, as well as

information on working with the

media and partners. By participating,

you also have access to tools and

information that will assist you in

carrying out community programs

that focus on obesity prevention

and health promotion. This healthy

weight public education outreach

effort benefits your community in

several important ways. We Can!

participating communities:

• Serve as a model community for

obesity prevention efforts around

the country.

• Receive media recognition for

your efforts.

• Help to lead the Nation’s 

fight against youth overweight 

and obesity.

• Receive organizational recognition

as a leader in the community.

• Help to reduce the burden of

chronic disease in the community.

The We Can! Energize

Our Community: 

Toolkit for Action

This We Can! Energize Our

Community: Toolkit for Action

provides an overview of We Can!

and how your community can get

involved. It’s organized around 

four Ps:

• PEOPLE. We Can! is a unique

approach to reducing and

preventing obesity. This section

describes the people who get

involved and the roles they play.

• PROGRAMS. The community

outreach component of We Can!

consists of Youth Programs, Parent

Programs, and Community Events

and Projects. This section

describes these elements and how

they work together.

• PUBLIC VISIBILITY AND WORKING WITH

MEDIA. Raising awareness about 

We Can! and its messages are an

important element of the program’s

success. This section gives you

tools and strategies to work with

the media to increase awareness

about We Can!

• PARTNERING. Working with other

groups can help you make the

most of We Can! This section

provides suggestions on effective

partnering.

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For More Information About Overweight 

and Obesity

Koplan, J.P., Liverman, C.T., & Kraak, V.I. (Eds.). Preventing childhood

obesity: Health in the balance. Washington (DC): The National

Academies Press, Institute of Medicine, 2005.

Ogden, C.L., Carroll, M.D., & Flegal, K.M. Epidemiologic trends in

overweight and obesity. Endocrinology and Metabolic Clinics of North

America 2003;32(4):741–760.

Ogden, C.L., Flegal, K.M., Carroll, M.D., & Johnson, C.L. Prevalence and

trends in overweight among U.S. children and adolescents, 1999–2000.

JAMA 2002;288(14):1728–1732.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overweight and Obesity

Web site. www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s

call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. Rockville,

MD: DHHS, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, 2001.

www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (HHS/USDA). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005.

www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines

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Chapter 2:

PEOPLE

The common element of every human

service agency, and the starting point

for all programs developed for the

public, is people. Because We Can!

is all about making life better for

people and helping them make good

decisions for their health, the first P

of We Can! has to be People.

Every member of the community

has the potential to play a role and

be involved with We Can!, though

two groups are especially important: 

• People who serve as the support

and delivery system for the program.

• People who participate in 

the program and the broader

general public.

People Who Support

and Deliver We Can!

To develop and maintain We Can!

programs in your organization, you’ll

need the help and support of many

people. These groups include

decision-makers, such as agency

managers, board members, and

elected officials, and staff, including

full- and part-time workers, support

and frontline staff, and volunteers. 

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You’ll need to start by helping

decision-makers and staff learn

about and become engaged in this

initiative. The more they know

about and participate in the

planning and development of the

initiative, the more support you’ll

get from this all-important group.

Here are some ways to make sure

that decision-makers and staff are

on-board and ready to help:

• Providing orientations so that people

know the facts about We Can!

and obesity prevention as well as

the four Ps of We Can!

• Brainstorming and program

planning to help staff identify

ways in which they can bring 

We Can! to participants and 

the general public.

• Training staff in methods to

incorporate obesity prevention

activities into their programs.

• Involving staff in selecting

resources, such as those available

from NHLBI, to assist them in

achieving program goals.

• Assisting staff in selecting programs

to be used in outcomes assessment

activities and in conducting

assessments.

• Enabling staff to take part in various

health-promoting nutrition and

physical activity programs that

your organization offers.

People Who

Participate and the

General Public

Once your internal support system

is in place, you can begin to define

your participants and recruit their

participation.

Traditional program models tend 

to focus on people who are currently

enrolled or involved in programs and

services that relate to the one being

developed. Because those people

are right there in front of you, it is

easy to assume that they are the

only ones you should reach out to.

But think more broadly—just about

everyone has the potential to become

involved in community activities, so

expand your target group. Consider

going after other participant groups

who have, or may potentially have, a

relationship with your organization: 

• CURRENT PARTICIPANTS. People 

who currently participate in your

programs, whether they be focused

on healthy eating and physical

activity or not. People who

already take aerobics or healthy

cooking classes may naturally

gravitate toward We Can!

activities, but people who take

crafts classes or participate in

other types of programs that are

unrelated to nutrition or physical

activity also may want to participate

in We Can!

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• CASUAL PARTICIPANTS. People who

are not formally involved in any

specific programs. Some may be

regular users of your facilities but

on a drop-in or informal basis.

Others may be secondary participants

who know about your programs

through the participation of

children or friends.

• POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS. Members 

of the general public who are not

currently involved or even aware

of your programs and services. 

By focusing your attention on

cultivating current participants as

well as reaching out to casual and

potential participants, you can increase

the range of participants in We Can!

Just think of all those people who

stop by your community center 

to attend a civic meeting, or who

are dropping off their children for

an activity and would welcome

something interesting to do while

they wait for their child!

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• About 22 percent of

American adults report

regular, sustained physical

activity of any intensity

lasting 30 minutes or

more five times a week. 

• About 25 percent 

report no leisure-time

physical activity.

• Sixty percent or more

don’t achieve the

recommended amount 

of daily physical activity.

Don’t be fooled by the waiting

lists for gymnastics classes

and long lines during the late

afternoon or early evening hours

in your fitness center. Those

crowds don’t mean you’ve

reached everyone. Reaching

out to casual or potential

participants can do much to

get people involved and help

them achieve the We Can!

physical activity objective. 

?Did You Know
We Can! Checklist: 1st P—People 

❑ Put together a We Can! overview packet consisting of general

information and frequently asked questions (FAQs) to share with

potential supporters of the program. Review talking points for your

conversations with them.

❑ Meet with program staff to explain We Can! Solicit their support and

ideas for carrying out program activities. Assign roles and

responsibilities among your staff.

❑ Orient your organization’s decision-makers to We Can! Secure their

support and participation.

❑ Make a list of current partners who might be interested in We Can!

❑ Work with program staff to brainstorm a list of other potential partners

and collaborators in We Can!

❑ Meet with program staff to describe the various groups of participants

and identify strategies for reaching out to all of them.

❑ Ask staff to identify ways to keep We Can! moving forward once 

the program has been launched.

❑ Keep staff and partners informed about current We Can! programs 

and activities:

■ Give management written reports and verbal updates.

■ Provide regular updates to your staff.

■ Present reports at board or council meetings.

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Chapter 3:

PROGRAMS

We Can! community outreach

programs have three major elements:

Youth Programs, Parent Programs,

and Community Events and Projects.

All focus on helping youth achieve

the five We Can! behavioral

objectives, improving the capacity 

of parents and families to help their

children achieve these objectives,

and building community support

around health-promoting nutrition

and physical activity. We encourage

communities to implement at least 

1 youth program and 1 parent

program, with a minimum of 

15 participants each, as well as 

1 community event or project.

Youth Programs

Communities that participate in 

We Can! have the option of using 

a variety of curricula and programs

designed for youth. Each has a

unique focus, but all are designed to

teach young people about nutrition

and physical activity issues and

become more aware of the factors

that influence their eating and activity

behaviors. All of them also have gone

through a rigorous development and

evaluation process, and they have

been shown to positively affect the

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knowledge and behavior of young

people. You can conduct these

programs in their entirety or select

portions of them if that works better

for your organization. The programs

are self-explanatory and easy-toimplement. Here are three programs

you may want to consider:

• CATCH KIDS CLUB. The Child and

Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular

Health (CATCH) was an NHLBIfunded study to create a school

health education curriculum

designed to motivate heart healthy

behavior in children in grades

K–5. CATCH Kids Club, based on

the successful in-school program,

is a physical activity and nutrition

education program for elementary

school-aged children (grades K–5)

in afterschool and summer care

settings. In 1999, the program

name was changed to a

Coordinated Approach to Child

Health to reflect the shift from a

research trial to a proven,

sustainable program. Both the

original school-based CATCH and

CATCH Kids Club use a

coordinated approach to helping

children adopt healthy dietary and

physical activity behaviors by

positively changing the health

environments of recreation

programs, schools, and homes. 

The CATCH Kids Club consists of

three programmatic elements: 

a curricular component, a physical

activity component, and a snack

component. The field-tested

materials include a CATCH Kids

Club Activity Box, which contains

activities for afterschool and

community-based programs, and 

a binder with nutrition activities

and snack recipes. 

CATCH Kids Club has been

extensively tested in 16 pilot sites—

8 in El Paso and 8 in Austin,

Texas. Afterschool staff also were

trained by and implemented the

program with assistance from the

CATCH trainers. The results

showed that CATCH Kids Club

works—it has been kid-tested and

approved, it is inclusive (everybody

plays), and it has been demonstrated

to increase children’s physical

activity and their nutrition

knowledge and intentions.

CATCH Kids Club activities are

designed to attract children—to

get them to make the choice to

participate because the games are

fun. The variety of activities is a

strength of the program. Lastly,

CATCH Kids Club is easy to use—

it provides the information and

resource materials to assist

afterschool staff and counselors to

successfully integrate structured

activities and nutrition lessons

into their programs. 

www.catch-works.com

• MEDIA-SMART YOUTH: EAT, THINK, AND

BE ACTIVE! is a 10-lesson curriculum

funded by the National Institute

for Child Health and Human

Development (NICHD) that

focuses on helping young people

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ages 11–13 understand the

connections between media and

health. The program uses

nutrition and physical activity

examples to help youth learn

about these connections and build

their media analysis skills. MediaSmart Youth brings together a mix

of learning formats, including

brainstorming, small- and largegroup discussions, games, and

creative productions. All these

activities are intended to create

discussion and encourage problemsolving and critical thinking. The

curriculum includes 10 structured

lessons with activities that explore

media, nutrition, or physical

activity topics. Each lesson also

includes a Snack Break and an

Action Break. These breaks reflect

the nutrition and physical activity

content of the curriculum and

provide a fun, hands-on way to

experience these concepts. The

curriculum concludes with a Big

Production—an opportunity for

participants to use what they have

learned to create a media project

designed to motivate other young

people to take action for better

nutrition or increased physical

activity. In the process, the youth

learn new skills in production,

teamwork, and creativity.

www.nichd.nih.gov

• STUDENT MEDIA AWARENESS TO

REDUCE TELEVISION (S.M.A.R.T.) 

is a 3rd or 4th grade classroom

curriculum designed to motivate

children to reduce their television

watching and video game usage.

Studies conducted by Stanford

University researchers have shown

that reducing time spent watching

television and playing video games

can result in lower prevalence 

of childhood obesity as well as

less aggression in children. 

The S.M.A.R.T. curriculum was

successfully tested with elementary

schools in the San Francisco Bay

area. The curriculum is intended

to be used over the course of the

school year and includes all the

lesson plans and tools needed to

implement the program.

http://hprc.stanford.edu/pages/

store/default.asp

Many other nutrition and physical

activity programs for youth are also

available. Here are a few

possibilities you may want to

consider using in whole or part:

• THE POWER OF CHOICE. An afterschool

program developed by the U.S.

Department of Agriculture and the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

www.fns.usda.gov/tn/

Resources/power_of_choice.html

• JUMPSTART. A program for

elementary school-aged children

developed by NHLBI and the

National Recreation and Park

Association in collaboration

with Scholastic magazine

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/

prof/heart/other/jumpstrt.htm

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S.M.A.R.T.
• PLANET HEALTH. An interdisciplinary

program for 6th through 8th grade

students. The research behind

Planet Health was supported by the

National Institute of Child Health

and Human Development (NICHD).

www.hsph.harvard.edu/prc/

proj_planet.html.

Parent Programs

We Can! also includes several

program elements designed to help

parents and caregivers help their

children improve their nutrition and

physical activity choices. These

options include: 

• We Can! Energize Our Families:

Curriculum for Parents and

Caregivers is a six-lesson

curriculum that covers the basics of

maintaining a healthy weight. The

core concept is “energy balance,” or

the long-term balance between

ENERGY IN (calories from food) and

ENERGY OUT (calories burned

through physical activity). In a fun

and hands-on way, the lessons

focus on helping participants learn

essential skills that can help their

families make healthful food choices

and become more physically active. 

At the end of each meeting,

participants are encouraged to try

new nutrition and physical activity

tips with their families. At the next

lesson, participants share their

experiences trying the new behavior

with the group. The parent

curriculum is in Appendix A.

• The We Can! Web site at

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov is 

a one-stop resource for parents

and caregivers for information,

tips, and resources on ways they

can help their family maintain a

healthy weight by improving their

nutrition, increasing physical

activity, and reducing screen time.

Community centers also can logon

to download information and

materials, learn about best practices

from We Can! sites around the

country, and contribute their own

stories. In addition, the site will

list and recognize national partners

who are helping contribute to 

We Can! success.

• The We Can! Families Finding

the Balance: A Parent Handbook

provides much of the same

information as that contained in

the curriculum. Its information,

tips, and “For More Information”

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TELL US ABOUT IT. 

Let us know about a

successful event in your

community. Logon to 

the We Can! Web site,

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov,

and go to the “We Can!

Get Involved” page to

learn how to send us your

program description.
guides make this brochure a

valuable take-home piece for 

any parent or primary caregiver

interested in helping their family

maintain a healthy weight. The

handbook will be available in

English and Spanish and is

available on the We Can! Web

site, http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

You can also call 1-866-35-WECAN

to order copies.

Community Events

Behavior change is often difficult.

One thing that can help, though, is 

a supportive environment. Getting

the larger community aware of the

importance of healthy eating and

increased physical activity and

involved in We Can! activities can

reinforce positive behaviors and make

it easier for people to maintain

behavior changes. See Appendix A

for suggestions for possible We Can!

community events and projects,

helpful tips, and planning tools.

Supplement We Can!

Programs and Activities

Your organization might be

comfortable using only We Can!

activities and curricula. Or you

might want to make all of your

activities part of We Can! Here are

some tips and strategies for making

the most of We Can!

Infuse We Can! Messages and

Activities into All Your Programs

Include a We Can! angle in all your

programs—whether they are focused

on health or not:

• Have participants in exercise classes

monitor their pulse periodically.

• Suggest that summer camp staff

serve water, fat-free milk, or lowfat milk instead of other beverages,

and low-fat snacks that focus on

fruits and vegetables.

• Have instructors begin or end any

class sessions with a nutrition or

physical activity tip.

Take Advantage of “National Health

Observance Month” Opportunities

To leverage existing health events or

occasions, plan activities to coincide

with National Cholesterol Education

Month or National Nutrition Month.

These activities can be used to help

people boost their activity levels or

make healthy food and drink choices.

Here are a few occasions to get 

you started:

• March is National Nutrition Month.

• May is

– National Physical Fitness and

Sports Month. 

– National High Blood Pressure

Education Month.

• September is National Cholesterol

Education Month.

• November is National Diabetes

Awareness Month.

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Suggest Alternatives

• Substitute soccer for softball to

get more participants actively

involved in the game. 

• Encourage parents to join in

during a session of playground

games. 

• Serve bite-sized healthy snacks 

at camp or social meetings. 

• Encourage concessionaires to

provide a wider range of low-fat, 

low-calorie snacks, meals, 

and beverages.

• Suggest new activities to people

who might be bored with what

they’ve been doing (for example,

encourage treadmill fans to try

cycling or hiking).

Offer People Opportunities to

Become Involved in We Can!

Programs and Activities

Think of these opportunities as

introductory versions of programs

that are designed to attract people

who might lack the time, money,

interest, or level of commitment

needed to adopt a healthier

lifestyle. Possibilities that might

work for parents as well as young

people include:

• OFFER A TASTE OF ONE OR MORE OF

YOUR PROGRAMS. These “miniclasses” can be a successful hook

to draw people into the full

program.

• HOLD A GET STARTED SERIES OF

PROGRAMS. These could include

“getting started” on increasing

physical activity, eating healthfully

at fast food restaurants, or choosing

active alternatives to screen time.

• HOLD A SPECIAL EVENT. For example,

you could sponsor a “Get Ready

for Summer” event in which

parents and children try out the

various physical activities

sponsored by your organization.

• REACH OUT. Sometimes, the people

most in need of We Can! programs

and activities are the least likely to

sign up. Don’t wait for them to

come to you. Find a way to go to

them where they are comfortable

and accessible. 

Help People Through the 

Tough Times

• People always will drop out of

programs or get discouraged and

slip back into old behaviors.

Often they feel bad about it but

think they can’t start over. Make

sure you reach out to them and

try to get them back.

• Continue to provide information

and program options to help

break through barriers to physical

activity and healthy eating.

• Help organize walking clubs,

cooking programs, health events,

and family activities—any way to

get people involved and help them

support and encourage others.

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Discover Program

Opportunities

Consider completing the following

checklist on page 18. It will give

you an initial picture of what is

happening (or not happening) in

terms of nutrition, physical activity,

and overweight prevention activities

in your community. It can serve as

a good starting point for planning

your We Can! programs and

activities. Review the results of

this assessment with your staff and

partners to identify gaps and

duplications. By not replicating

similar programs that already exist,

you can save time, energy, and money.

By offering programs at different

times and locations for different

groups of people, you might help

people break through barriers that

are preventing them from adopting

nutrition and physical activity

behaviors that help them maintain 

a healthy weight.

Evaluation

Your ability to demonstrate the

impact of your program on the

health of your community is a big

plus. Evaluations enable you to:

• Document the factual results of

your programs.

• Determine if your programs and

services are making a difference 

to your community.

• Provide information for decisionmakers, funding sources, and 

the public.

• Suggest how to improve 

your programs.

• Reinforce the efforts of staff.

The We Can! Web site at

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov provides

information and sample instruments

to help you evaluate the youth and

parent programs. Suggestions for

evaluating community events and

projects can be found in Appendix A.

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Program Assessment Checklist

People

Groups who do NOT have regular, ongoing opportunities to learn about

nutrition and healthful eating.

1.__________________________________ 4. __________________________________

2.__________________________________ 5. __________________________________

3.__________________________________ 6. __________________________________

Groups who do NOT have regular, ongoing opportunities for physical activity.

1.__________________________________ 4. __________________________________

2.__________________________________ 5. __________________________________

3.__________________________________ 6. __________________________________

Groups who are at risk of overweight and are not participating in current programs.

1.__________________________________ 4. __________________________________

2.__________________________________ 5. __________________________________

3.__________________________________ 6. __________________________________

Programs

Successful programs with a We Can! focus that could be expanded to

reach more people.

1.__________________________________ 4. __________________________________

2.__________________________________ 5. __________________________________

3.__________________________________ 6. __________________________________

Programs with potential for adding or enhancing We Can! elements for

current participants.

1.__________________________________ 4. __________________________________

2.__________________________________ 5. __________________________________

3.__________________________________ 6. __________________________________

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Programs without a We Can! focus that could be expanded to include

physical activity and healthful nutrition.

1.__________________________________ 4. __________________________________

2.__________________________________ 5. __________________________________

3.__________________________________ 6. __________________________________

We Can! information and strategies that are NOT sufficiently targeted and

could be expanded (check as many as apply):

Information: ❑ Importance of maintaining a healthy weight and

preventing overweight

❑ Role of food choices, physical activity, and screen time 

in preventing or causing overweight

❑ Ways to maintain a healthy weight 

Activity: ❑ Improving food choices

❑ Increasing physical activity 

❑ Reducing screen time

Opportunities/Action Areas

Identify programs or services, existing or new, that present an opportunity

for motivating healthy weight behaviors or areas where new programs

should be created.

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Target Group 

or Program

Expanding an

Existing Program

Creating a 

New Program
We Can! Checklist: 2nd P—Programs

❑ Create opportunities for staff to become familiar with the We Can!

youth and parent curricula and elements.

❑ Develop plans and schedules for implementing We Can! curricula 

and activities.

❑ Brainstorm ways that We Can! concepts can be incorporated into 

your center’s other existing programs.

❑ Involve staff in identifying other programs and activities that might 

lend themselves to We Can!

❑ Identify ways in which program activities can be adapted to support

healthy eating and physical activity.

❑ Create a plan for adding We Can! themes or activities to 

existing programs.

❑ Identify high-potential programs, such as afterschool, day camp, 

or senior meals, where We Can! can be incorporated.

❑ Create a schedule and strategy for carrying out these plans and 

assign staff as appropriate.

❑ Ask staff to identify possible barriers to participation in programs 

and suggest ways to break down those barriers.

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Chapter 4:

PUBLIC VISIBILITY

AND WORKING

WITH MEDIA 

One of the most important challenges

you face is raising awareness about the

problems associated with overweight

in youth and highlighting the things

We Can! is doing to help young

people and their families prevent

overweight. The success of your

program depends in part on people

knowing about it. Here are some

approaches you can take to show

people in your community how you

are working to improve their health.

Get the Word Out

• Use We Can! resources to reinforce

the key program messages within

your organization. Try to have 

the messages incorporated into

vehicles such as flyers and bulletin

boards, printed forms, outgoing

voicemail messages, e-mail

signatures, and personal contacts.

• Extend your reach to the broader

community. For example,

disseminate information about

We Can! activities through

posters hung in local recreational

facilities near restrooms and

refreshment areas, fact sheets in

high-traffic locations, brochures at

community events, and flyers 

in the mail that accompany local

utility bills.

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• Disseminate through civic

organizations, partnering

organizations, schools, churches,

local businesses (including grocery

stores)—both to clients/consumers

and to employees.

• Contact local community colleges

or get marketing students involved.

• Remember to include information

about your We Can! activities on

your organization’s Web site. Be

sure to keep event information

updated. Also, remind your

partners to keep information

current on their Web sites and

send them a link to your Web page

and to the national We Can! Web

site, http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

Whom to Reach and

Where to Reach Them

• YOUTH. Recreation centers, parks,

malls, and other locations where

they come for activities or to hang

out with friends. 

• PARENTS. Bulletin boards outside

buildings or rooms where they

drop off children (community

centers, schools, local pools) or at

pediatrician’s offices.

Take-home flyers or forms from

schools, churches, and community

centers.

• FAMILIES. Signs at family picnic

spots, community spots, or child

play areas.

Signs at youth sports games, 

local festivals.

Hold a special event at which you

can feature We Can! such as a

health and wellness fair, an awards

ceremony, or a holiday celebration.

Or you may want to combine a 

We Can! promotion with another

community event. 

Work With the Media

Working with the media can raise

the visibility of your organization or

coalition and help to set the stage

for recruiting participants, partners,

and sponsors. Media coverage is

an integral way to relay We Can!

messaging in your community. The

following section is designed to

help you work with the media to

effectively promote your program.

Here are some strategies for

working with the media:

• First, develop a media strategy.

• Define your goal. Are you

trying to recruit participants to

programs, draw attendance at

an event, or inform potential

participants or sponsors?

• Think about which audiences

you want to target. If your

goal is to recruit program

participants, do you want to

reach children or adults? 

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• Do you want to reach

individuals of certain ethnic or

cultural backgrounds or from a

specific socioeconomic class or

neighborhood?

• Develop an appropriate

message and call to action.

Try to identify one key message

(the main point you want to get

across) and one call to action (what

you want your audience to do,

such as register for a program or

come to an event). The idea

here is to not try to communicate

too many concepts at once—

that can make it hard to

communicate the key messages

and action items.

• Create a targeted media list. 

A media list is often the foundation

of your media outreach.

Identifying the right reporters

with the right beats is crucial.

When possible, find out how

they prefer to be contacted (email, phone, fax) and respect

their preferences. It also is

important to understand the

outlet you are contacting.

Remember to include contacts for

your local papers, radio, and TV.

• Identify the people in your

department or agency who

are best able to serve as media

contacts and spokesperson(s).

Make sure they are very familiar

with We Can!, its NIH sponsors,

and all the We Can! activities

your center is doing. 

• Prepare the tools you need to

inform the media effectively.

These include press releases, fact

sheets, brochures, or other

background information. If

you’re planning an event, you

might also need a media advisory

as well as a press kit. Press kits

often include a press release, an

event agenda, backgrounders on

We Can! and your organization,

short bios of speakers, and copies

of their speeches. Remind people

that this information will be on

the We Can! Web site. (See

sample media materials in

Appendix B.)

• One of the most important media

tools is the press release because

much of the news that is printed

or broadcast comes from this

source. It tells your story in a

news article format and mirrors

how reporters draft articles. In

some cases, it may be printed or

broadcast verbatim. Most likely, 

a reporter will use only portions

of the release and supplement it

with additional information from

other sources. Here are some tips

for writing an effective news release:

• Write a headline that tells 

the story.

• Prepare a lead paragraph that

includes “the five Ws and H”—

who, what, when, where, why

and how.

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• Include accurate information

from reputable sources, with 

the most important details in

the first few paragraphs. Where

possible, include local statistics

(e.g., one of four children in

Healthy County are overweight,

according to the Healthy County

Health Department).

• Use quotes that bring the story

to life. Consider composing

draft quotes that are approved

by the people for whom the

quotes are written.

• Limit the release to no more

than two pages. If mailing or

faxing, present it on letterhead

with the name and phone number

of your organization’s contact

person, include the date (or the

date that the media can report

on the information), and any

sponsors of the activity. If

sending by e-mail, copy the text

of the release into the body of

the e-mail rather than sending 

it as an attachment.

• Avoid passive voice. Use active

words and voice to add zest to

your writing.

• Proofread to ensure that it

contains no errors.

• Construct a timetable of your

site’s events and activities and

include that in materials you 

send out to the media.

• Decide how you will measure the

success of your outreach efforts.

How many people participated 

in your program or event? How

many newspapers, TV stations,

and other media outlets reported

on your program as a result of

your outreach?

• Maintain ongoing contact with

media sources. It’s important to

capture media attention when

launching a new project like 

We Can! It is equally important 

to try to keep the message and

activities of We Can! in the public

eye. Here are some ways to

ensure ongoing successful media

contacts:

• Keep your media contacts and

spokespeople informed about

new We Can! developments 

and activities.

• Ask local officials to proclaim your

city, town, or county a We Can!

community and encourage the

media to cover it. Include a

copy of the proclamation with

your press release.

• Distribute We Can! materials at

every appropriate public event.

Try to keep your materials

recognizable with a standard

design or logo. (See Appendix

D for the We Can! Logo

Guidelines.)

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• Pitch ideas for a feature article

or broadcast segment to select

media. The focus of the article

or segment could be a program

participant who has been

exceptionally successful, a

volunteer who has contributed

significantly, or an organizational

sponsor that has contributed

generously. 

• Grow your media network 

and develop strategies to reach

various sections of the newspaper

(such as sports, lifestyle, parenting,

health, kids’ page, weekend, or

activity section) as well as radio

stations that attract different

groups of listeners. For example,

include tips for reducing

children’s screen time in

outreach to lifestyle or parenting

reporters. In addition, keep

track of reporters and

freelancers who cover related

stories, and add their names to

your list of media contacts.

• Remember Web sites that list

local events and send them links

to your Web site. Also, note that

sometimes newspapers, television,

and radio stations have separate

staff who manage their online

content, so be sure to notify

both departments. 

• Try to find media that appeal 

to individuals or nonparticipants

you want to reach. Identify new

media possibilities by reading

neighborhood or small weekly

newspapers and listening to

various radio stations. 

• Invite members of the media 

to become partners with your

We Can! program. Local TV 

and radio stations as well as

newspapers often adopt special

causes to show their support 

for the community.

• When it comes to pitching,

remember that more does not

always equal better. Reporters

constantly receive story ideas,

and repeated attempts to gain

media coverage can backfire.

When you contact reporters, 

be sure you have a newsworthy

idea they might be interested 

in and make their job easier 

by providing them with all the

information they need.

Remember media like photos, so

offer a photo opportunity or

visual.

See Appendix B for sample media

materials and “How To” guides to

help promote We Can! in your

community.

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We Can! Checklist: 3rd P—Public Visibility 

and Working With Media

❑ Create or revise a list of media contacts and information (phone

number, e-mail, fax, etc.).

❑ Identify media tools you’ll need—such as a media advisory, press

releases, and background fact sheets. Create a media schedule, then

draft and distribute these items. Be sure to update them as needed.

❑ Schedule a date and time for community officials to proclaim your

community a We Can! community, then arrange for media coverage. 

Be sure to have program participation at any press event as it provides

media with people to interview as well as a strong human interest angle.

❑ Extend your reach by partnering with local organizations or businesses

and promoting We Can! to their constituents.

❑ Think of different story ideas with a local angle or human interest angle

and pitch them to your media contacts. These should be targeted; 

do not send the same pitch letter to several media outlets.

❑ Expand your reach by contacting the people who write for the sports,

parenting, or lifestyle sections of local newspapers. Then, be creative

and develop different story ideas that are relevant to each section.

Contact a variety of radio stations.

❑ Invite the media to cover special We Can! events and become involved.

❑ Check the We Can! Web site and alert local media contacts to new

findings or program developments. Provide them with a local angle 

if you can.

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Chapter 5:

PARTNERING

One of the powerful aspects of 

We Can! is its potential to maximize

existing community resources and to

use them as channels to disseminate

important information to your

community. Partnering goes a long

way toward making that potential 

a reality.

Assess the Strengths

and Limitations of

Partnerships

Partners can bring something to the

process that you are not capable of

providing. Partnerships are

powerful because they extend your

network by making things happen

that could not have happened—or

as efficiently—with one agency

working on its own. Partners can

be a big help in moving a We Can!

project forward because they offer:

• Access to a group of people you

might not be currently reaching

• Greater credibility for your

message or program

• Additional resources (funding,

staff, facilities, equipment)

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• Added expertise

• Potential co-sponsorship of

programs and events

It’s important to remember, though,

that partnerships can’t do everything.

They cannot:

• Substitute for your own clear

strategic thinking

• Be an end in themselves

• Change the behavior of an

audience

• Keep everyone happy

Consider Potential

Partners

The best partners are those who

share a common interest in your

mission, strategies, values, and

vision. Every community possesses 

a unique richness of resources that

can serve as potential We Can!

partners. In thinking of potential

partners, take a moment to brainstorm

the names of individuals and agencies

that might be interested in being a

part of We Can! Think of organizations

or groups you might not have been

involved with previously, such as

hospitals, grocery stores, the health

department, or fitness centers. Ask

other staff or any current partners

for additions to your potential

partner list. Consider the following:

• Public departments and agencies,

such as health departments, school

districts, policy departments, or

fire departments

• Health-related agencies, hospitals,

visiting nurses, and emergency

services

• Nonprofit agencies, YMCAs, 

Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts,

Boys Scouts

• Faith-based organizations

• Private sector groups, such as

grocery stores, sporting goods

stores, or fitness centers

• Neighborhood groups and 

local PTAs

Decide on the 

Why and What 

of Partnerships

In thinking of potential partners,

also take a moment to brainstorm the

reasons for forming a partnership

with a particular organization or

person. Having a clear purpose will

help you determine the kinds of

activities that are appropriate for the

partnership. Here are some

possible purposes and related

activities (note that some activities

can serve several purposes):

• To reach particular groups 

or audiences:

• Co-host an event or press

conference

• Jointly publish materials

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• Contribute to each other’s

publications

• Cosponsor a program or activity

• Serve on an advisory group 

or program planning team

• To disseminate materials 

and messages:

• Co-host an event or press

conference

• Jointly publish materials

• Contribute to each other’s

publications

• Cosponsor a program or activity

• Tap into each other’s

dissemination channels

• To enhance credibility for your

programs or activities:

• Co-host an event or press

conference

• Jointly publish materials

• Contribute to each other’s

publications

• Cosponsor a program or activity

• Serve on an advisory group or

program planning team

• To gain technical expertise to

enhance your programs and

activities:

• Receive production assistance

• Swap staff 

• Tap the partner’s expertise for a

briefing or when developing

materials

• Receive logistical support

Find the Right Partner

Finding the right partner can

sometimes make all the difference

in a successful We Can! effort.

Consider the following criteria.

Which will your partners need 

to meet?

• The credibility, name recognition

and scope, and extent to which its

mission complements your 

We Can! programs and objectives.

• The profile of the organization’s

key constituencies (do they

complement or extend yours?).

• The ability and commitment of

the organization’s leadership to

leverage or mobilize its network

and resources on your behalf.

• The extent to which the organization

traditionally has been involved

with, or desires to become

involved with, nutrition, physical

activity, and healthy weight issues.

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• Whether a collaboration with the

organization results in a win-win

situation for everyone involved.

Here are some things you can do 

to ensure successful partnerships:

• Involve representatives of partnering

organizations as early as possible

in the planning process.

• Provide partners with the We Can!

mission, strategies, and materials

in a readily usable format.

• Give partners advance notice of

upcoming activities so they can

rework their program schedules

around those activities.

• Determine what types of resources

or assistance they might provide or

need, including money, training,

information, or facilities.

• Keep initial efforts manageable;

don’t take on too much too soon.

• Create a way to gently remind

people of their responsibilities.

• Develop a feedback mechanism so

activities can stay on track and

adjustments can be made quickly.

Move Forward With

Your Partners

Before you and your partners decide

to create new programs, you need

to look at those you currently offer.

Conduct a quick assessment of your

We Can! nutrition, physical activity,

and screen time reduction programs

and activities and determine whether

all members of the community have

access to the programs. Are your

existing programs:

• Designed for parents and primary

caregivers, young people ages

8–13, and families?

• Offered at various locations

around the community?

• Offered at various days and times?

• Accessible to all members of 

the community?

• Affordable?

The following chart can help you and

your partners review your existing

programs to see where gaps may

exist that can be filled with a new,

collaborative effort that incorporates

We Can! messages and elements.

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Once you know in what areas you

might want to collaborate with 

a partner, a good way to keep a

partnership on track is to develop a

structured plan. Such a partnership

plan enables all participants to agree

on the specifics of the project and

roles and responsibilities. How

formal the plan is depends on the

size of the cooperative effort and 

the needs of the partners. The

following partnership plan template

can help get you started.

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Program Primary Primary Focus Minor Focus

Name Audience Nutrition Physical Screen

(N) Activity (PA) Time (ST)

Nutrition Physical Screen

(N) Activity (PA) Time (ST)

Step 1: Current Programs and Services Offered

1. 6. 11.

2. 7. 12.

3. 8. 13.

4. 9. 14.

5. 10. 15.

Step 2: Review Programs on the basis of which audiences are addressed.

Be sure to classify the programs according to whether they focus on nutrition,

physical activity, and screen time, or whether these topics are only a small

part of the program. This chart allows you to see what elements might be

missing from current programs and can help you determine opportunities 

for partnering with other organizations.
A Partnership Plan

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To bring together existing community resources and assets to improve 

the overall health and quality of life for residents of the community through

increased information about nutrition, physical activity, and maintaining 

a healthy weight.

Overall Purpose of the We Can! Partnership 

Brief Description of Cooperative Program or Project

Participating Partners (list all names and organizations)

(may include a focus on a particular group, skill set, behavior, or area of knowledge.)

Desired Outcomes of the Program/Project

1.

2.

3.

4.

Major Activities for Program/Project
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Resource Who Provides Details Timing

Access to people

Training

Communication

Expertise

Facility

Funding

Staff

Needed Resources

Step Who is Responsible Due Date How Tracked

Action Steps
Assess Your Ongoing

Partnerships

As in any relationship, it’s always a

good idea for you to pause once in

a while and assess how the partnership

is going. The following tool can

help you evaluate the strengths,

accomplishments, and difficulties 

of your partnership. By using it, 

you can ensure that you and your

partner are working from the same

page and are meeting the original

goals of the alliance. It also will give

you concrete information to work with

if you need to make some adjustments

and improvements. Be as specific as

you can in answering the questions.

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1 What is the name of your organization?

2. What is the name of your partner organization?

3. In two or three sentences, describe what you and your partner are trying

to accomplish.

4. What is your organization’s role in the partnership?

5. What is your partner’s role in the partnership?

6. What resources have you invested so far in the partnership?

Funding:

Staff:

Materials:

Other:

7. What resources has your partner invested so far in the partnership?

Funding:

Staff:

Materials:

Other:

Perception of Vision and Roles
See Appendix C for useful tools and information to help you secure local

partners to help with your We Can! efforts.

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8. Do you feel that you and your partner organization are committed 

to shared goals? What might help improve this aspect of the partnership?

9. Do you feel that your partnership has direction and a cohesive design?

What might help improve this aspect of the partnership?

10. What do you feel have been the biggest strengths of this partnership, in

terms of its outcomes, processes, or any other perspective that you think

is important?

11. What areas do you feel need the most improvement or are the greatest

challenges in this partnership, in terms of its outcomes, processes, or 

any other perspective that you think is important?

12. Please write any additional comments that you feel have not yet been

covered, but that might be helpful in assessing the partnership.

Satisfaction
We Can! Checklist: 4th P—Partnering

❑ Review the list of current and past partners for possible involvement

with We Can!

❑ Ask staff and current partners to suggest names of additional possible partners.

❑ Set dates for initial meetings and invite potential partners to attend.

❑ Hold initial meetings and determine the level of interest and possible

involvement.

❑ At subsequent meetings, determine a definite level of support. Suggest

conducting an assessment to determine areas of possible cooperation.

❑ Once assessment is completed, meet with potential partners to determine

program or service opportunities and desired areas of involvement.

❑ Determine one or more specific partnering ventures. Agree on a

partnership plan.

❑ Plan mutually acceptable methods of communication, networking,

monitoring of progress, and conflict resolution.

❑ Be sure to regularly and publicly recognize and thank partners for 

their contributions.

❑ Periodically review the partnerships and elements that were successful

and not so successful. Articulate lessons learned and ways to improve

the partnership in the future. Plan additional partnerships.

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And Finally...

Remember that the goal of 

We Can! is to increase the number

of children and adults who are able

to maintain a healthy weight through

improved nutrition and increased

physical activity. Overweight and

obesity are major health problems

in the United States, and lifestyle

changes that involve smart food

choices, increased physical activity,

and reduced screen/sedentary time

are the most important steps

toward prevention.

We Can! provides the tools to

disseminate nutrition, physical

activity, and reduced screen time

messages to those who want to hear

them and those who need to hear

them. This program’s ideas and

suggestions are designed to be easy

to carry out and fun to do. Use

these tools and materials and share

them with your colleagues.

Good luck and have fun!
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Curriculum for Parents and Caregivers ................................ 41

Community Events and Projects .......................................... 167
40
Energize our 

Families:

CURRICULUM FOR 

PARENTS AND 

CAREGIVERS
42
Lesson 1:

Lesson Overview

Lesson 1 is an overview of We Can! Energize

Our Families: Curriculum for Parents and

Caregivers. The instructor will welcome

participants to the six-lesson program.

Participants will fill out a short form to gauge their

current knowledge of the topics covered in the

program. The instructor will explain the purpose,

content, and structure of the program. 

Lesson Objectives 

By the end of this lesson, the participants will 

be able to:

• Complete and turn in the Tell Us What You

Think form.

• Describe the important role that family plays in

learning new behaviors related to nutrition and

physical activity.

• State the purpose, content, and structure 

of We Can! 

• Define and give an example of each of the

following ways to support behavior change:

being a role model, creating a healthy home

environment, and encouraging family decisionmaking.

Total Time

60 Minutes

Energize Our Families:

Getting Started
Lesson Activities

• Welcome and Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Tell Us What You Think (10 minutes)

• Introduction to We Can! (20 minutes)

• Stretch Break (5 minutes)

• We Can! Help Your Children Eat Well and Move More (10 minutes)

• We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More (8 minutes)

• Wrap-Up (2 minutes) 

Materials Needed 

Warm-Up 

❑ Large paper

❑ Easel

❑ Marker

Tell Us What You Think (Download the form from the We Can! Web site at

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov)

❑ Tell Us What You Think activity 

❑ Pens or pencils 

❑ Box or folder for completed Tell Us What You Think forms

Introduction to We Can!

❑ Projector, screen, and computer for PowerPoint presentation or

introduction to We Can! slide printouts 

We Can! Help Your Children Eat Well and Move More

❑ We Can! Help Your Children Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 57

We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 59

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More tracking sheet, p. 61

Wrap-Up

❑ We Can! Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook

Facilitator’s Preparation

Warm-Up 

❑ Set up large paper, easel, and marker.

Pre-Curriculum Activity

❑ Photocopy the Tell Us What You Think form (one for each participant).

❑ Set up a box or folder to collect forms.

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Introduction to We Can!

❑ Set up projector, screen, and computer if you choose to use the

PowerPoint presentation. If not, photocopy the slide printouts (one set 

for each participant). The PowerPoint is available on the We Can! Web site

at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov 

We Can! Help Your Children Eat Well and Move More

❑ Photocopy the handouts (one for each participant).

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More

❑ Photocopy the handouts (one for each participant).

Wrap-Up

❑ Make sure you have one We Can! Families Finding the Balance: 

A Parent Handbook for each participant [You can order printed copies at 

1-866-35-WECAN. You can also download them directly from the We

Can! Web site (http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov).]

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

1. ■■SA■Y: Welcome to We Can!, which stands for Ways to Enhance

Children’s Activity & Nutrition. We are here today because we care about

our children’s health and well-being. The goal of this program is to

empower you to reinforce the healthy nutrition and physical activity actions

that your family is already taking, and to teach some new skills that can

help those healthy behaviors last a lifetime. You’ll hear more about the

program in just a moment, but right now, let’s introduce ourselves. 

2. BEGIN the introductions by saying your name. If applicable, LIST the

names and ages of your children. ASK participants to introduce

themselves, list the names and ages of their children or the children they

care for, and name one thing they hope to get out of this program. 

3. ADD other points of interest as needed to fit the needs of the group.

• Do participants need an orientation to the facility?

• Do they know where the restrooms and water fountains are located?

4. Briefly REVIEW this session’s activities and timing (most people like to

have some idea of what to expect, especially what time a break is scheduled). 

Lesson Activities

• Welcome and Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Tell Us What You Think (10 minutes)

• Introduction to We Can! (20 minutes)

• Stretch Break (5 minutes)

• We Can! Help Your Children Eat Well and Move More (10 minutes)

• We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More (8 minutes)

• Wrap-Up (2 minutes) 

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Tell Us What You Think (10 minutes)

1. DISTRIBUTE pens or pencils and the Tell Us What You Think form 

to participants. 

2. ■■■SAY: Before we get into the session, I’d like you to take 10 minutes 

to tell us what you think about nutrition and physical activity. This will help

us determine if this course has the right information to help you help your

families. At the end of the program, you’ll fill out a similar form.

3. INSTRUCT participants to put the form in the large folder or box when

completed.

4. ALERT participants when they have 1 minute remaining.

Introduction to We Can! (10 minutes)

1. BEGIN the PowerPoint presentation 

with Slide 1 or HAND OUT photocopied

slide sets.

2. ■■■SAY: As you may already know,

overweight is a growing problem in our

country, particularly among children. In

just 30 years, overweight has more than

doubled among children ages 2–5 and

adolescents ages 12–19, and more than

tripled among youth ages 6–11. As

parents and caregivers, you have an

enormous impact on your children’s

behaviors. The National Institutes of

Health is teaming up with community

centers around the country, including

ours, _____________ (list community

center name), to empower you to help

your children and families maintain a

healthy weight. Besides this six-lesson

program, a new parent-focused Web site,

a Parent Handbook, and other

educational materials have been

developed to give you information on 

how to work with your children around

the issues of weight, nutrition, and

physical activity. (TURN TO SLIDE 2)

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Slide 1

Slide 2
What is We Can!

• We Can! is a healthy weight education

program for families at home 

and in community settings.

• The program was developed by leading

weight, nutrition, and physical activity

experts in the nation.

• We Can! is receiving national media attention.

• Additionally, We Can! offers classes for youth ages 8–13 at our community

center. It teaches children about the same topics you will be focusing on.

You may want to sign up your children for these classes so that they can

learn similar information and skills at the same time. (TURN TO SLIDE 3)

It’s time for We Can! now!

• National trends are showing alarming rates in overweight and obesity.

• Nearly 9 million American children older than age 6 are currently

overweight. There is a strong likelihood that being overweight as a child will

lead to being overweight as an adult—an almost 80 percent chance that

overweight adolescents will be overweight as adults.

• This poses both long-term and short-term

challenges for overweight children.

Overweight is associated with a number of

serious health problems, which are

affecting younger and younger children

these days. 

• On the positive side, maintaining a healthy

weight by choosing nutritious foods and

being physically active can prevent health problems in the future and

improve your family’s quality of life now. (TURN TO SLIDE 4)

Why the increase?

• The increase in obesity has multiple causes: lifestyle, environment, and

genetics. While we can’t control genetics, we can certainly make positive

changes in our lifestyle and be aware of our environments.

• The bottom line is Energy Balance: it comes down to an increase in

calories and decrease in physical activity due to: larger food portion sizes,

eating out, increased consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, and

computers and television.

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Slide 3

Slide 4
• For example, since the late 1970s, consumption of milk has dropped 

39 percent and intake of carbonated sodas has increased 137 percent

among children ages 6–11. 

• Also since the late 1970s, pizza consumption has increased 425 percent

and candy 180 percent while intake of vegetables has decreased 

43 percent. 

• Sedentary screen time has increased and physical activity decreased.

Almost 60 percent of youth ages 6–11 spend more than 3 hours in front 

of a screen each day (including TV, DVD, and computer). Also, some data

suggest an increase in obesity with the increased time spent in front of the

TV, particularly among younger children. (TURN TO SLIDE 5)

ASK: If you drank a regular 12-ounce can of soda every day for a year, how

much sugar would that be? (Answer: 30 pounds) How much weight would

one lose in a year after switching from regular soda to water or another

calorie-free drink? (Answer: 151/2 pounds) You will learn more tidbits like this

throughout this program.

Why work with parents and caregivers?

• Research has shown that parents are often their children’s most important

role model. You might find this hard to believe at times, but when asked,

children often say that their parents are their most respected role models.

This gives you an incredible opportunity to teach your children behaviors

they can use to maintain a healthy weight and avoid serious health

problems the rest of their lives.

• Also, as a parent or caregiver, you

manage the home. This means you play

an important role in determining what your

children eat and how much activity they

get. You buy most of the food, prepare

most of the meals and snacks, and

provide opportunities for physical activity.

You also set up house rules that include

when and how much your children are

allowed to watch TV and DVDs and play

on the computer. Healthy nutrition and

physical activity behaviors start at home,

and we recognize that you are your

family’s primary teacher.

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Slide 5
• Finally, we recognize that it is easier for people to make lifestyle changes

when they have support from those they’re close to. Including the whole

family in the process will help everyone make healthy choices and lead

healthy lives together. (TURN TO SLIDE 6)

The basics of We Can!

• We Can! is a six-lesson course; each

lesson is one hour long. Activities are

included in most of the lessons for you to

try with your family at home.

• The We Can! objectives of the program

are to help parents and caregivers:

• Increase the availability and accessibility 

of healthy foods in the home.

• Enjoy small portions at home and at restaurants.

• Limit the availability and accessibility in the home of sweetened beverages,

high-fat foods, and energy-dense foods with low-nutrient value.

• Support and enable family physical activity.

• Support and enable reduced screen time.

• To teach you how to achieve these objectives, each lesson offers useful

communication tips and tools built around the concept of “energy balance.”

We’ll go into this in a lot more detail in Lesson 2, but “energy balance” just

means balancing the amount of calories you eat with the number of

calories you burn. You will learn how to balance energy through making

smart nutrition choices, being physically active, and reducing screen time.

• We want to emphasize that in six lessons, we can’t provide you with all there

is to know about these topics. But We Can! gives you a great start so you

can take ownership of these issues that are important to your family’s health!

• Also, it is important to note that this program is not a weight loss program.

If you have any questions about your child’s weight, please see your family

doctor, pediatrician, or health care provider. (TURN TO SLIDE 7)

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Slide 6
What can We Can! do for you?

• We hope We Can! will motivate you through: 

• Practical strategies, tools, and tips that

you can use with your children to help

them maintain a healthy weight; 

• Simple ways you can model healthier eating

and physical activity for your family; and,

• Resources you can use to address healthy

weight with your family in the future.

• We also hope you’ll enjoy sharing with and learning from the other participants,

who are facing the same challenges that you are. (TURN TO SLIDE 8)

Questions and answers

■■■SAY: That was a lot of information at

one time about the program. Does anyone

have any questions or thoughts?

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Slide 7

Slide 8
Stretch Break (5 minutes)

■■■SAY: In the middle of each lesson, we’re going to do either a stretch or

simple physical activity to get your body up and moving. Today we are going

to stretch. Please stand up and join me in today’s stretch.

First, take a deep breath and reach both hands in the air as far as you can.

Stand on your tiptoes if you like. Reach to the sky as far as you can without

hurting your back. Breathe in and out normally (allow them to do this for

about 10–20 seconds).

Exhale and slowly lower your hands back to your waist.

Inhale and bend forward at the waist, letting your arms dangle in front of you

as far as you can go comfortably. Let your head hang down. Do not lock

your knees. Breathe in and out normally (allow them to do this for about

10–20 seconds). Slowly stand up.

Inhale and bring both arms behind you as far as you can comfortably and

imagine your chest pushing forward. Keep your head up and your neck

straight. Breathe in and out normally (allow them to do this for about 10–20

seconds). Bring your arms back to your side.

Inhale and bring your arms together in front of you, clasp your fingers

together and bow your head slightly. Breathe in and out normally (allow them

to do this for about 10–20 seconds). Slowly bring your arms back 

to your sides and bring your head up.

I hope you enjoyed today’s break. Hopefully this break has provided you with the

energy for the next activity!

We Can! Help Your Children Eat Well and Move More

(10 minutes)

1. ■■■SAY: Most people know that it is important for all family members 

to maintain a healthy weight, but getting your family to choose nutritious

foods, limit screen time, and be more physically active can sometimes 

be challenging. 

2. ASK:

• As caretakers for our family’s health, all of us have tried various approaches

to eat nutritiously or to be more physically active. What are some

challenges you face in helping your family maintain a healthy weight?

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ENCOURAGE participants to share their thoughts. Here are some possible

responses:

• My children don’t like to eat healthy foods.

• I don’t have time to cook, so we eat a lot of fast food.

• It’s easy to put my children in front of the TV when I’m tired or busy.

• I don’t have time to be physically active, so how can I get my family 

to do it?

• How have you dealt with these challenges? What strategies have you

tried to improve nutrition and increase physical activity? 

ENCOURAGE participants to share their thoughts. Here are some 

possible responses:

• Providing fruits, vegetables, and low-fat foods

• Limiting foods and drinks with added sugar 

• Setting time limits for TV, DVD/video, and computer use

• Going for walks together or promoting other physical activities

3. CONGRATULATE participants on their ideas and responses. NOTE that it 

is important to recognize, acknowledge, and reward themselves for the

positive steps they are already taking.

4. EXPLAIN that they have many options for building on the steps they are

already taking. Here are three examples. 

• Be a role model. Children look up to their parents and want to do the

things that they are doing. If you eat nutritious foods, are physically

active, and maintain a healthy weight, chances are your child will do the

same. For example, when you participate in an exercise class a couple 

of times a week, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, or drink water instead

of soda most of the time, you are sending a powerful message to your

children. Without even knowing it, you are serving as a role model for

your family.

ASK:

• What kinds of healthy actions are you already taking? 

• Create a healthy weight home environment. You can make changes in

your home environment to support your family in making healthy choices.

For example, you can switch from whole milk to low-fat or fat-free milk,

play ball outside with your children after work, or not allow them to have

a television in their bedrooms. All of these actions help create a healthy

weight home environment. 

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ASK: 

• What are some examples of things you do already that support a healthy

weight home environment? Can you think of small changes you could

add to what you are already doing? 

• Encourage your family to make healthy weight decisions together. It’s

often easier to stick to healthy weight actions if everyone in the family

has agreed to them. For example, your family could decide to only drink

fat-free milk or water at meals instead of soda, walk to a neighbor or

friend’s house instead of driving, or take up a family sport instead of

watching TV.

ASK: 

• What healthy weight decisions could your family make together? 

5. CONGRATULATE the participants on their current efforts. TELL them that,

over the next six lessons, they will do a lot of talking about other specific

steps they can take to support a healthy weight for themselves and their

family members.

6. HANDOUT the We Can! Help Your Children To Eat Well and Move

More handout.

7. EXPLAIN that this will teach them more about how to work with their family

to make the changes easy for everyone. 

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More

(8 minutes)

1. HAND OUT the We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout

and tracking sheet. 

2. ASK each participant to review the list. 

3. ASK: Has anyone successfully tried any of these tips? What has worked 

for you? 

4. ■■■SAY: To help get you and your family on the road to maintaining a

healthy weight, we’re going to ask you to pick one eating well and moving

more tip to try each lesson. We recognize that adapting new behaviors can

be hard, but over the next few lessons we will share our successes and

challenges and talk about how we can turn the challenges into successes. 

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5. ASK participants to take 2 minutes to review the tips on the handouts and

select one eating well and moving more tip to try before the next lesson

and write each on their tracking sheet.

6. ■■■SAY: During the next lesson, we’ll share our experiences with each

other about what worked and didn’t work. You can help each other

come up with solutions to your challenges and support each other in

order to be successful in helping your family make smart nutrition and

physical activity choices. 

Wrap-Up (2 minutes)

1. ■■■SAY: Today, you were given an overview of We Can! and we talked

about ways to support healthy habits for ourselves and our families. 

The next five lessons will empower you with the knowledge and tools to

improve the way your family eats and moves and also teach you how to

help them make some of these changes on their own. Next time, we’re

going to learn about “energy balance.”

2. ASK: Who can tell me how many calories are in a plate of spaghetti and

meatballs? (Answer: 1,025 calories for 2 cups pasta and 3 large

meatballs). How many calories was a plate of spaghetti and meatballs 20

years ago? (500 calories). How much housecleaning would a 130-pound

person have to do to burn the extra 525 calories? (Answer: 2 hours and

35 minutes). Learn more about how to balance ENERGY IN and ENERGY

OUT in the next five lessons.

3. DISTRIBUTE the We Can! Families Finding the Balance: A Parent

Handbook to each participant, and EXPLAIN that this resource provides

information and practical tips and tools to empower them to help their

family maintain a healthy weight through positive changes to their nutrition,

physical activity, and screen time behaviors. It is similar in content to the

six-session program so it can be a useful at-home resource in between the

lessons. In the handbook, they will find real-life examples of energy

balance, the handy Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods guide, a Portion Distortion

example, Guide to Calories Burned in Common Activities, a helpful

resource list, and much more!

4. THANK participants for participating in this important first session. ASK

whether they have any questions or comments.

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Slide 1 Slide 2

Slide 3 Slide 4

Slide 5 Slide 6

Slide 7 Slide 8
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We Can! Help Your Children 

Eat Well and Move More

• BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL. Research has shown that children and adolescents

really do listen to their parents and model their behavior. If you eat well

and move more, your children will likely follow.

• INVOLVE YOUNGER CHILDREN IN THE DECISIONS. Talk to your kids about making

smart food and physical activity choices. It will be easier if everyone can

help support each other to eat well and move more. For example, every

weekend have one or more of your children pick one physical activity for the

whole family to do. Have your younger child come with you to the grocery

store to pick out some healthy foods he or she would like to try.

• HAVE OLDER CHILDREN MAKE DECISIONS. Older kids might not be as open to

you telling them what to do, so tailor your request to the child’s age and

temperament. For example, for older children who are learning to be more

independent, you can explain that you want them to be more active, but

then ask them what they want to do rather than tell them what they should

be doing. You also could let them know that you bought some healthier

snacks for them to try and tell them you trust them to prepare something

healthy when they’re hungry. 

• DON’T MAKE DRASTIC DIETARY CHANGES. If your family normally drinks whole

milk, try buying 2 percent low-fat milk and see if they notice a difference.

After a few weeks, try reducing the fat content again to 1 percent reducedfat milk. Too drastic a change may upset your family; it’s best to introduce

new foods gradually.

• MAKE THE NEW HEALTH BEHAVIOR EASY FOR THEM. Put a bowl of washed fruit,

such as grapes or apples, on the table. It’s easy if they can just grab the

fruit for a snack without thinking! 

• LIMIT FOODS HIGH IN FAT AND SUGAR IN THE HOUSE. Use the Nutrition Facts

label to find foods lower in calories, fat, and sugar. This will help your children

eat fewer of these foods. Make available plenty of healthy foods for them to

choose, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk and

milk-products.

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• EMPHASIZE THE BENEFITS. The apparent benefits of making nutritious food

choices and increasing physical activity will be different for you and your

children. Youth will likely not care that a nutritious diet that includes lots 

of fruits and vegetables can help prevent certain diseases. Or that being

physically fit can reduce the risk of heart disease later in life. However, they

are likely to care about growing tall and strong, being attractive, or being

good at sports. Helping them make connections between their choices and

benefits that are meaningful to them may help them try new things. 

• CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR FAMILY TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER DOING

SOMETHING ACTIVE. Plan fun and active things for your family to do together,

such as play in the park, walk through the zoo, tour some local sites, hike,

or swim.

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We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well 

and Move More

Choose to take small steps today! Try these tips to eat well and move more

and see how easy taking small steps toward a healthier life can be.

Nutrition

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• Drink water before a meal.

• Eat half your dessert, or choose

fruit as dessert.

• Avoid food portions larger than 

your fist.

• Drink diet soda instead of 

regular soda.

• Eat off smaller plates.

• Don't eat late at night.

• Skip buffets.

• Grill, steam, or bake instead 

of frying.

• Share an entree with a friend.

• Eat before grocery shopping.

• Choose a checkout line without 

a candy display.

• Make a grocery list before you shop.

• Drink water or low-fat milk over

soda and other sugary drinks.

• Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and

other low-fat seasonings.

• Keep to a regular eating schedule.

• Eat before you get too hungry.

• Don't skip breakfast.

• Stop eating when you are full.

• Snack on fruits and vegetables.

• Top your favorite cereal with apples

or bananas.

• Include several servings of wholegrain foods daily.

• If main dishes are too big, choose

an appetizer or a side dish instead.

• Ask for salad dressing “on the side”.

• Don't take seconds.

• Try a green salad instead of fries.

• Eat sweet foods in small amounts.

• Cut back on added fats or oils in

cooking or spreads.

• Cut high-calorie foods like cheese

and chocolate into small pieces

and only eat a few pieces. 

• Use fat-free or low-fat sour cream,

mayo, sauces, dressings, and 

other condiments. 

• Replace sugar-sweetened beverages

with water and add a twist of

lemon or lime. 

• Every time you eat a meal, sit

down, chew slowly, and pay

attention to flavors and textures. 

• Try a new fruit or vegetable (ever

had jicama, plantain, bok choy, 

star fruit, or papaya?) 

• Instead of eating out, bring a

healthy, low-calorie lunch to work. 

• Ask your sweetie to bring you fruit

or flowers instead of chocolate. 
• Walk to work.

• Do sit-ups in front of the TV.

• Walk during lunch hour.

• Walk instead of driving whenever

you can.

• Take a family walk after dinner.

• Walk kids to school.

• Get a dog and walk it.

• Join an exercise group.

• Replace Sunday drive with 

Sunday walk.

• Do yard work.

• Get off the bus a stop early 

and walk.

• Work around the house.

• Take the dog to the park.

• Go for a half-hour walk instead 

of watching TV.

• Sit up straight at work.

• Wash the car by hand.

• Pace the sidelines at kids’ 

athletic games.

• Choose an activity that fits into

your daily life.

• Park farther from the store and walk.

• Ask a friend to participate in

physical activity with you.

• Make time in your day for physical

activity.

• Use an exercise video if the

weather is bad.

• If you find it difficult to be active

after work, try it before work.

• Perform gardening or home 

repair activities.

• Avoid labor-saving devices, such as

a remote control or electric mixers.

• Play with your kids 30 minutes a day.

• Dance to music.

• Keep a pair of comfortable 

walking or running shoes in your

car and office.

• Make a Saturday morning walk 

a group habit.

• Walk briskly in the mall.

• Choose activities you enjoy—you'll be

more likely to stick with them.

• Take the long way to the water cooler.

• Explore new physical activities.

• Reward and acknowledge your efforts.

• Take stairs instead of the escalator.

• Swim with your kids.

• Walk to a co-worker’s desk instead

of e-mailing or calling them.

• Use a snow shovel instead of 

a snow blower.

• Take your dog on longer walks.

• When walking, go up the hills

instead of around them. 

• Buy a set of hand weights and play

a round of Simon Says with your

kids—you do it with the weights,

they do it without.

Source: Adapted from www.smallstep.gov

Physical Activity

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We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and 

Move More Tracking Sheet

Pick a tip each lesson to help you eat well and move more! Fill in the tips on

this tracking chart to encourage you to keep it up. Put the tracking sheet on

your refrigerator or other central location for your family to see that you are

making steps toward maintaining a healthy weight. Continue to fill in the

chart after We Can! has ended.

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Lesson 1 (___/___)

Lesson 2 (___/___)

Lesson 3 (___/___)

Lesson 4 (___/___)

Lesson 5 (___/___)

Lesson 6 (___/___)

Lesson Eating Well Tip Moving More Tip Notes
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Lesson 2:

Lesson Overview

Lesson 2 introduces the concept of energy

balance. This concept is the foundation for all 

of the subsequent lessons in this six-lesson course

for parents and caregivers.

Lesson Objectives 

By the end of this lesson, the participants will 

be able to:

• Define energy balance.

• List three examples of how they can balance

out the energy equation.

• Describe how portion size and serving size can

affect weight control.

Lesson Activities

• Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Energy Balance (20 minutes)

• Introduction to Body Mass Index (10 minutes)

• Stretch Break (5 minutes)

• Portion Distortion (15 minutes)

• We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More 

(4 minutes)

• Wrap-Up (1 minute) 

Total Time

60 Minutes

Maintain a Healthy Weight:

The Energy Balance Equation
Materials Needed

Warm-Up 

❑ Markers

❑ Easel and large paper

Energy Balance 

❑ Pens or pencils 

❑ Energy Balance: ENERGY IN & ENERGY OUT worksheet, p. 75 

Introduction to Body Mass Index (BMI)

❑ We Can! Watch Our Weight handout, p. 77

Portion Distortion 

❑ Portion Distortion quiz, p. 79

❑ Portion Distortion slides (optional), p. 83

❑ Estimated Calorie Requirements, p. 87

❑ Large bag of pretzels

❑ Three large bowls

❑ Measuring cups or small scale (see Facilitator’s Preparation)

❑ Large paper, easel, and pens

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 59

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More tracking grid, p. 61

Facilitator’s Preparation

Welcome and Warm-Up 

❑ Set up easel, large paper, and markers.

Energy Balance 

❑ Photocopy handouts. 

Introduction to Body Mass Index (BMI)

❑ Photocopy handouts. 

Portion Distortion

❑ Photocopy handouts. 

❑ Set up slide projector (optional). The Portion Distortion PowerPoint 

slides can be downloaded directly from the We Can! Web site at

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

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❑ Purchase materials for presentation. Check Nutrition Facts label on the bag

of pretzels to see if serving size is measured by number of pretzels, weight

(ounces), or volume (cups). If measured by weight, bring in a small food

scale; if measured by volume, bring in appropriate-sized measuring cups.

❑ Set up easel, large paper, and markers.

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More 

❑ Photocopy handouts. 

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

1. As participants walk into the room, ASK them to go to the large paper 

in the front of the room and write down the nutrition and physical activity

tip they tried since the last lesson. 

2. As soon as everyone has written down the tips they chose, WELCOME

participants to the second lesson.

3. ASK one or two participants to share their experience of trying out the tips.

Was it easy or difficult?

4. ■■SAY: ■Congratulations to all on a job well done. You will get opportunities

to try more nutrition and physical activity tips throughout the rest of 

the program. 

5. ASK: If anyone had problems with the tips you tried, why do you think it

didn’t go as well as planned? What could you do differently? CHOOSE one

or two participants to respond. LISTEN to answers from participants. ASK

the other participants in the group to offer suggestions on how to make

the new behavior easier. If the other participants don’t have suggestions,

provide some of your own. For example, if they wanted to take a walk

after dinner 3 days a week, you might suggest that they put their walking

shoes by the door ahead of time so they have a visual reminder and are

ready to go. Or try for 2 days a week instead of 3. 

Facilitator’s Note: This should be a quick conversation just to warm up the participants,

not an extended discussion.

6. ASK participants if they have any questions. 

7. ■■■SAY: Now we’re going to talk about energy balance and body mass index,

what they are, and why they’re important to maintaining a healthy weight.

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Energy Balance (20 minutes)

1. ASK whether participants have ever heard the term “energy balance.” 

■■■SAY: This concept, “energy balance,” is the foundation of maintaining

a healthy weight. Imagine a scale. One side is the calories you take into

your body by eating or drinking. We call that ENERGY IN. The other side

is the calories you burn just by being alive and being physically active. 

We call that ENERGY OUT. To maintain your weight at the same level, 

your food intake—or ENERGY IN—must equal your physical activity—

ENERGY OUT. If you burn more energy than you take in, you will lose

weight. If you take in more energy than you burn, you will gain weight.

Since children need energy to grow properly, energy balance in children 

is when there is an equality between ENERGY IN and ENERGY OUT that

supports natural growth without promoting excess weight gain. 

2. ■■■SAY: Maintaining energy balance depends on several things: 

• BEHAVIOR—how many calories you consume and how much physical

activity you get.

• ENVIRONMENT—the opportunities and challenges for nutrition and

physical activity that you find at home, work, school, or in your

community.

• GENETICS—heredity also plays a role in determining your weight. 

Genes can affect how the body stores fat or burns calories for energy.

Although you can’t change your family genes, you can change your

behaviors and be mindful of your environment. 

3. ■■SA■Y: You don’t need to balance your calories exactly everyday. It’s the

balance over time that counts. Maintaining energy balance is like balancing

a budget. If you know you’ve eaten more calories (spent more dollars)

than you budgeted for 1 day, then you can reduce the calories you

consume (dollars you spend) the next day or increase your activity level

(increase your income) to help you stay on budget. 

4. EXPLAIN that in the next few lessons they will explore some easy ways 

to balance their energy to help them maintain their weight. 

5. ■■SAY: ■I’m going to give you an example of how you can balance your

own “lifestyle budget.” Then I want you to come up with your own ideas 

or examples and share some with the group. If you know you’re going to 

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a party and may eat more high-calorie foods than you normally would,

then eat fewer calories for a few days beforehand so it balances out. Or,

you can increase your physical activity for the few days before or after the

party so you burn off the extra energy. This same idea also applies to your

children. If they will be going to a birthday party where you know they will

be eating cake and ice cream and other foods high in fat and added sugar,

help them balance those calories the day before and after the party and

provide opportunities for them to be more active. 

6. ASK: Does anyone know other examples of ways that you and your

children can balance your “lifestyle budget?”

If necessary, SUGGEST the following situations. How could someone

maintain energy balance in these situations?:

• A big business lunch

• A few days of inactivity for a child who’s normally active 

• During a holiday season when there are lots of parties!

7. ■■■SAY: Those are great examples. Even making small changes are

important. Just eating 150 calories less a day than you usually do can lead

to a loss of 5 pounds in 6 months or 10 pounds in one year. You can

save about 150 calories by switching from a 12-ounce regular soda to

water or by choosing small-sized french fries instead of medium-sized.

8. PASS out the Energy Balance: ENERGY IN & ENERGY OUT worksheet 

and pens or pencils.

9. ASK participants to get into small groups of no more than four people each.

ASSIGN each group a meal or snack example. EXPLAIN that they should

use the handout to figure out how much physical activity they will need to

do to burn off the same amount of calories in the meal/snack they were

assigned. ALLOW them 10 minutes to complete the worksheet. If they

have extra time, they can work on the other examples. 

10. ASK one volunteer from each group to report on their findings. 

11. ASK participants what they learned from this activity. REMIND participants

that they have to work harder or longer to burn off the higher calorie

meals and snacks than they do for the lower calorie meals and snacks.

12. EXPLAIN to participants that they’re now going to do an activity to help

them determine their body mass index. 

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Introduction to Body Mass Index (10 minutes)

13. HAND OUT the We Can! Watch Our Weight handout. 

14. ASK: Does anyone know what body mass index, or BMI, is?

If necessary, GUIDE participants to the following response:

• BMI, or body mass index, is a measure of weight in relation to 

your height.

• This information can help adults determine whether they are at a

healthy weight. 

• BMI doesn’t work very well for people who are extremely muscular, very

tall, or very short. In these cases, it may incorrectly classify someone

as overweight or obese when they really are not. 

Facilitator’s Note: Make sure that participants understand that this entire activity, and this

BMI chart, apply only to adults.

Different charts are used for children. Because children are still growing and boys and girls

grow at different rates, children’s charts take gender and age into account in determining

weight status. A child or teen who is between the 85th and 95th percentile on the growth

chart is considered at risk for overweight. A child or teen who is at the 95th percentile or

above is considered overweight. Ask your family doctor, pediatrician, or health care provider

about your child’s BMI-for-age. For more information about BMI-for-age and growth charts

for children, visit www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmi-for-age.htm.

15. ■■SAY: ■Let’s look at the handout. Dan weighs 218 pounds and he is 

5 feet 9 inches tall. His wife, Susie, weighs 134 pounds, and she is 5

feet 4 inches tall. Are Dan and Susie at a healthy weight? Use the legend

to see if they are in the healthy weight, overweight, or obese category. If

their weight falls between two BMIs, you should choose the lower BMI

number. ALLOW 2 minutes for them to find Dan and Susie’s BMIs.

Answer: Dan’s BMI is 32, so he is obese. Susie’s BMI is 23; she has 

a healthy weight.

16. ■■■SAY: If you know your height and weight, you can figure out your

BMI with this chart. If not, have a doctor or nurse weigh you the next

time you are at the doctor’s office or weigh yourself if you have a scale

at home. If you’re at a healthy weight, your goal is to maintain it by

balancing the energy equation. If you’re above a healthy weight, you

will need to either increase the amount of physical activity you get or

decrease the amount of food you eat. 

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17. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. If you are in the healthy BMI

range, try not to gain any weight, even if the extra pounds will still keep

you in a healthy weight range. If you are overweight or obese, you should

consider seeing your family doctor or health care provider to help you

determine the best ways to lose weight. The information in this course

may help you to lose weight by learning how to improve your diet and get

regular physical activity, but you should work with your doctor or health

care provider and have him or her monitor your health.

Stretch Break (5 minutes)

■■■SAY: As I mentioned a little earlier, small changes really can add up.

Switching from a medium to a small fries, for example. Small changes work

for physical activity, too. Adding little bits of activity throughout your day not

only helps your ENERGY OUT but can be a great way to refresh your body and

mind. Today’s stretch break, which focuses on your legs, is a good example

of one of these little bits of activity. Try this while you’re on the phone at

home or waiting in line at the store! Everyone, please stand up and move to

the back of your chair. 

If you don’t feel like there is a lot of room around you, feel free to move 

your chair so you have room to stretch out your legs.

Put both hands on the back of your chair and make sure your feet are

shoulder-width apart in a comfortable stance.

Stand up straight with your abs in, and in two counts lift your left leg straight

out to the side a few inches off the floor. Don’t move your leg so far that you

hurt yourself, but challenge yourself so you feel your muscles working. Hold

the position for 2 seconds, and then lower back to start with a controlled

movement in two counts. Lift 1–2, hold 1–2, lower 1–2 (repeat this 8

times). Let’s switch to our right leg now. Lift 1–2, hold 1–2, lower 1–2

(repeat this 8 times.)

Now we’re going to do the same thing, but instead of moving our leg out to the

side, we’re going to move it to the back behind us, which will help to strengthen

the muscles. Make sure to keep your leg straight as you do this. Don’t move

your leg so far that you hurt yourself, but challenge yourself so you feel your

muscles working. Let’s start with the left leg: Lift 1–2, hold 1–2, lower 1–2

(repeat this 8 times) and now the right leg: Lift 1–2, hold 1–2, lower 1–2

(repeat this 8 times).

Good job everyone! 

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Portion Distortion (15 minutes) 

1. ■■■SAY: We’ve been talking about energy balance for most of this class.

Now, we’ll talk about the ENERGY IN part of the equation before we finish

this session. 

2. ASK: 

• What do you think a “serving” means? 

If necessary, GUIDE participants to the following responses:

• A “serving” is a unit of measure used to describe the amounts of food

recommended from each food group. It is the amount of food listed

on the Nutrition Facts label on packaged food or the amount of food

recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Facilitator’s Note: A “serving” is a measured amount of food or drink, such as one slice of 

bread or 1 cup of milk. Nutrition recommendations use serving sizes to help people know 

how much of different types of foods they should eat to get the nutrients they need. The 

Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods also lists a serving size. The serving sizes on

packaged foods are not always the same as those included in nutrition recommendations. 

However, serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods. 

• What do you think a “portion” means?

If necessary, GUIDE participants to the following responses:

• A “portion” is the amount of a specific food you choose to eat for

dinner, snack, or other eating occasion. Portions, of course, can be

bigger or smaller than the recommended food servings.

3. DISTRIBUTE the Portion Distortion quiz. 

Facilitator’s Note: If you have a slide projector, you can show participants the PowerPoint

slides and make this activity interactive.

4. ■■SAY: ■Portion Distortion is an activity that demonstrates how portion

sizes have gotten a lot bigger over the past few decades. Just because a

muffin or plate of pasta that you receive in a restaurant is one “portion,”

that does not mean that it’s one “serving.” In fact, it’s usually several

servings and those servings can really add up your total calories for the

day. Over time, this can lead to weight gain. 

5. ASK them to take 3 minutes to complete the Portion Distortion quiz. 

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6. ASK participants to guess the answer to each question. Congratulate

participants for the correct answers. Provide the right answer on the

answer key, when necessary. ASK them to take this handout home to

share with their family. 

7. ■■■SAY: There is an online version of Portion Distortion that has pictures

of how food portions and calories have grown in the last 20 years.

EXPLAIN that they can do this activity with their family online on the We

Can! Web site at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

8. EXPLAIN that knowing about portion control and serving sizes can help

them balance their ENERGY IN and maintain their weight. We’ll talk more

about this in the next lesson. 

9. ASK for three volunteers to participate in a demonstration. GIVE them

each a large bowl. HAND the first volunteer the large bag of pretzels.

10. ASK each volunteer to take a turn putting in a bowl the amount of pretzels

they think that they’d normally snack on at one time. Use a large bowl

because the size will influence the portion size.

Facilitator’s Note: You will likely have a volunteer who will eat more than the standard 

serving size (1 ounce) of pretzels. If no one puts out more than 1 ounce, then volunteer

yourself and portion out several servings of the pretzels to ensure a large serving to use 

as an example.

11. Ask them how many calories they think is in 1 serving of pretzels? 

12. ASK the volunteers to measure how much food they put into their bowls.

They can do this easily by either counting the number of pretzels,

measuring the portions with a small food scale, or using measuring cups

(this depends on how the serving size is measured on the package). 

13. ASK them to look on the Nutrition Facts label to determine how many

servings are in their bowls and how many calories these servings represent.

14. ASK volunteers to announce to the group how many servings they portioned

out and how many calories were in their “serving” of pretzels. ASK them

to write this information on the large paper. 

15. ASK them to refer to the Energy Balance: ENERGY IN & ENERGY OUT

handout and figure out how much moderate activity a 150-pound person

would need to do to burn the calories in the pretzels. 

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16. PASS OUT the Estimated Calorie Requirements handout for them to use

as a reference for how many calories are recommended for each gender

and age group.

17. EXPLAIN that now they should have an idea of portion control and how

the calories can add up when you eat more than one standard serving 

of a food. Also, they should now have a sense of how much activity they

would need to do to burn off those calories. Let participants know that it

is fine to have more than 1 serving at a time, as long as the calories 

fit into their daily energy intake level.

18. ASK participants if they have any questions. EXPLAIN that they will now get

to pick two new eating well and moving more tips to try for the next lesson.

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More (4 minutes)

1. HAND OUT a new We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout

and tracking grid. 

2. ASK participants to pick two new eat well and move more tips to try this

lesson and write down their tips on the We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and

Move More tracking grid to bring home. 

3. ■■■SAY: Once you are at home, add your new tips to last lesson’s tracking

grid so you can keep everything in one place. I will pass out a new grid at

the end of each lesson so you can keep your main grid at home in a

central place for the family to look at any time. 

4. ENCOURAGE them to continue to try the tips they picked during the last

lesson if they worked. 

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Wrap-Up (1 minute)

1. ■■■SAY: Today we discussed Body Mass Index or BMI, energy balance,

and the importance of portions and serving sizes in managing that

balance. You now have some more tools to take home to your families 

to help them maintain a healthy weight. 

2. ■■■SAY: Next lesson, we’re going to talk about how to manage ENERGY IN.

Can anyone tell me if the following foods are GO, SLOW, or WHOA foods? 

• Peach (response should be GO)

• 2 percent low-fat milk (response should be SLOW)

• Doughnut (response should be WHOA)

• Whole-wheat bread (response should be GO)

Join me next time to learn which foods are GO, SLOW, and WHOA to help

guide your food choices.

3. THANK everyone for participating in this session. ASK whether they have

any questions or comments.

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Energy Balance: 

ENERGY IN & ENERGY OUT: Worksheet

Figure out how much activity a 150-pound person would need to do to

balance out the total calories in each of these food combinations. You can

choose any of the activities listed in the chart on the following page to fill in

the blank. For example, you could choose to do 2 hours of gardening or 

1 hour of volleyball.

Energy In: Food and Drinks

1. Fast-food double cheeseburger, large french fries, and a 32-ounce

regular soda

Total calories: 1,290

Physical activity I choose to do:_______________

2. Fast-food Caesar salad with grilled chicken (9.8 ounces), with Caesar

salad dressing (1 ounce), sliced apple with caramel dipping sauce 

(3.2 ounces), and medium diet soda (21 ounces)

Total calories: 395

Physical activity I choose to do:_______________

3. Fast-food 6-inch cold cut sub, potato chips, and a cookie 

Total calories: 757

Physical activity I choose to do:_______________

4. Whole grain cereal (1 cup) and fat-free milk (1 cup) and a banana

Total calories: 307

Physical activity I choose to do:_______________

5. Chocolate frosted cake (1/8 slice, 18-inch cake) and vanilla 

ice cream (1 cup)

Total calories: 532

Physical activity I choose to do:_______________

6. Baked fish (3 ounces), green beans, rice (1 cup), and low-fat frozen

yogurt (1 cup)

Total calories: 662

Physical activity I choose to do:_______________

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ENERGY OUT: Physical Activity 

Each activity in the following table burns approximately 150 calories*: 

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Common Chores

Washing and waxing a car 

for 45–60 minutes

Washing windows or floors 

for 45–60 minutes

Gardening for 30–45 minutes

Wheeling self in wheelchair 

30–40 minutes

Pushing a stroller 11/2 miles 

in 30 minutes

Raking leaves for 30 minutes

Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes 

(15 minute/mile)

Shoveling snow for 

15 minutes

Stair walking for 

15 minutes

Sporting Activities

Playing volleyball for 

45–60 minutes

Playing touch football 

for 45 minutes

Walking 13/4 miles in 35 minutes

(20 minute/mile)

Basketball (shooting baskets) 

30 minutes

Bicycling 5 miles in 

30 minutes

Dancing fast (social) for 

30 minutes

Water aerobics for 

30 minutes

Swimming laps for 

20 minutes

Basketball (playing game) 

for 15–20 minutes

Bicycling 4 miles in 

15 minutes

Jumping rope for 

15 minutes

Running 11/2 miles in 

15 minutes (10 minute/mile)

Examples of moderate amounts of physical activity

Less Vigorous

More Time

More Vigorous

Less Time

➔

➔

Source: www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_whatcanyoudo.htm

Activity Calories Burned Per 30 minutes*

*For a healthy 150-pound person. A lighter person burns fewer calories; a heavier 

person burns more.

Walking (Leisurely), 2 miles per hour 85

Walking (Brisk), 4 miles per hour 170

Gardening 135

Raking Leaves 145

Dancing 190

Bicycling (Leisurely) 10 miles per hour 205

Swimming Laps, medium level 240

Jogging, 5 miles per hour 275
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We Can! Watch Our Weight

Check the chart to find your body mass index (BMI). Find your height on the

left of the chart. Go straight across from that point until you come to your

weight in pounds. The number at the top is your BMI. This chart applies 

only to adults. To determine your child’s BMI, consult your family doctor,

pediatrician, or health care provider.

We Can! Watch Our Weight

BMI 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Height Body Weight (pounds)

4’10” 91 96 100 105 110 115 119 124 129 134 138 143 148 153 158 162 167

4’11” 94 99 104 109 114 119 124 128 133 138 143 148 153 158 163 168 173

5’0” 97 102 107 112 118 123 128 133 138 143 148 153 158 163 168 174 179

5’1” 100 106 111 116 122 127 132 137 143 148 153 158 164 169 174 180 185

5’2” 104 109 115 120 126 131 136 142 147 153 158 164 169 175 180 186 191

5’3” 107 113 118 124 130 135 141 146 152 158 163 169 175 180 186 191 197

5’4” 110 116 122 128 134 140 145 151 157 163 169 174 180 186 192 197 204

5’5” 114 120 126 132 138 144 150 156 162 168 174 180 186 192 198 204 210

5’6” 118 124 130 136 142 148 155 161 167 173 179 186 192 198 204 210 216

5’7” 121 127 134 140 146 153 159 166 172 178 185 191 198 204 211 217 223

5’8” 125 131 138 144 151 158 164 171 177 184 190 197 203 210 216 223 230

5’9” 128 135 142 149 155 162 169 176 182 189 196 203 209 216 223 230 236

5’10” 132 139 146 153 160 167 174 181 188 195 202 209 216 222 229 236 243

5’11” 136 143 150 157 165 172 179 186 193 200 208 215 222 229 236 243 250

6’0” 140 147 154 162 169 177 184 191 199 206 213 221 228 235 242 250 258

6’1” 144 151 159 166 174 182 189 197 204 212 219 227 235 242 250 257 265

6’2” 148 155 163 171 179 186 194 202 210 218 225 233 241 249 256 264 272

6’3” 152 160 168 176 184 192 200 208 216 224 232 240 248 256 264 272 279

6’4” 156 164 172 180 189 197 205 213 221 230 238 246 254 263 271 279 287

Healthy Weight Overweight Obese

What is BMI? BMI measures weight in relation to height. Risk of heart disease

and other diseases increases at higher levels of overweight and obesity.

What is waist measurement? Waist measurement and BMI are interrelated.

Waist measurement provides an independent prediction of risk over and

above that of BMI. For those with a BMI less than 35, a waist measurement

greater than 40 inches for men and greater than 35 inches for women, is

considered high risk for heart disease.
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What are risk factors for heart disease? Age, gender, heredity, high blood

cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, smoking, obesity and

overweight, and diabetes.

BMI from 18.5–24.9: Healthy Weight—Good for you! Make it a goal to

keep your healthy weight.

BMI from 25–29.9: Overweight—If you have two or more risk factors or a

high waist measurement, ask your family doctor or health care provider for help.

BMI 30 or Higher: Obese—You need to lose weight. Lose weight slowly—

about 1–2 pounds a week. If you have two or more risk factors or a high

waist measurement, ask your doctor or health care provider for help.

Practice Finding Body Mass Index

**Note: If you find that the weight number falls between two BMI numbers, choose the lower 

of the two BMI numbers.

Examples:

Dan’s weight = 218 lbs

Dan’s height = 5’9”

Dan’s BMI = __________________

Susie’s weight = 134 lbs

Susie’s height = 5’4”

Susie’s BMI = __________________
Portion Distortion Quiz

You’ve probably noticed that food portions in restaurants and other places

have grown in size and provide enough food for at least two people. Larger

portion sizes can lead to bigger waistlines and weight gain.

Take the Portion Distortion Quiz below to see if you know how today's portions

compare to the portions available 20 years ago, and about the amount of

physical activity required to burn off the extra calories provided by today's

portions. The answers are provided on page 81.

1. A bagel 20 years ago was 3 inches in diameter and had 140 calories.

How many calories do you think are in today's bagel?

a. ❒ 150 calories

b. ❒ 250 calories

c. ❒ 350 calories

2. A cheeseburger 20 years ago had 333 calories. How many calories do

you think are in today's cheeseburger?

a. ❒ 590 calories

b. ❒ 620 calories

c. ❒ 700 calories

3. A 6.5-ounce portion of soda had 85 calories 20 years ago. How many

calories do you think are in today's portion?

a. ❒ 200 calories

b. ❒ 250 calories

c. ❒ 300 calories

4. 2.4 ounces of french fries of 20 years ago had 210 calories. How many

calories do you think are in today's portion?

a. ❒ 590 calories

b. ❒ 610 calories

c. ❒ 650 calories

5. A portion of spaghetti and meatballs 20 years ago had 500 calories. How

many calories do you think are in today's portion of spaghetti and meatballs?

a. ❒ 600 calories

b. ❒ 800 calories

c. ❒ 1,025 calories

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6. A cup of coffee with milk and sugar 20 years ago was 8 ounces and had

45 calories. How many calories do you think are in today's mocha coffee?

a. ❒ 100 calories

b. ❒ 350 calories

c. ❒ 450 calories

7. A muffin 20 years ago was 1.5 ounces and had 210 calories. How many

calories do you think are in a muffin today?

a. ❒ 320 calories

b. ❒ 400 calories

c. ❒ 500 calories

8. Two slices of pepperoni pizza 20 years ago had 500 calories. How many

calories do you think are in today's large pizza slices?

a. ❒ 850 calories

b. ❒ 1,000 calories

c. ❒ 1,200 calories

9. A chicken Caesar salad had 390 calories 20 years ago. How many

calories do you think are in today's chicken Caesar salad?

a. ❒ 520 calories

b. ❒ 650 calories

c. ❒ 790 calories

10. A box of popcorn had 270 calories 20 years ago. How many calories do

you think are in today's tub of popcorn?

a. ❒ 520 calories

b. ❒ 630 calories

c. ❒ 820 calories

Thank you for taking the Portion Distortion quiz. We hope it was fun and

insightful. We also hope that next time you eat out, you will think twice 

about the food portions offered to you.

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Answers

1. c: 350 calories for a 6 inch bagel. If you rake leaves for 50 minutes

you’ll burn the extra 210 calories.*

2. a. 590 calories. You’ll need to lift weights for 1 hour and 30 minutes, to

burn the extra approximately 257 calories.*

3. b. 250 calories for a 20-ounce soda. If you work in the garden for 35

minutes you will burn the extra 165 calories.**

4. b. 610 calories for a 6.9-ounce portion of french fries. If you walk

leisurely for 1 hour and 10 minutes, you will burn the extra 400 calories.**

5. c. 1,025 calories for a portion consisting of 2 cups of pasta with sauce

and 3 large meatballs. If you houseclean for 2 hours and 35 minutes, you

will burn approximately 525 calories.*

6. b. 350 calories for a 16-ounce cup of coffee. If you walk approximately 1

hour and 20 minutes, you will burn the extra 305 calories*

7. c. 500 calories for a 5-ounce muffin. If you vacuum for approximately 1

hour and 30 minutes you will burn the extra 310 calories*

8. a. 850 calories for 2 large slices of pizza. If you play golf (while walking

and carrying your clubs) for 1 hour, you will burn the extra 350 calories**

9. c. 790 calories for a 3 cup portion. If you walk the dog for 1 hour and 20

minutes, you will burn the extra 400 calories.**

10. b. 630 calories for a tub of popcorn. If you do water aerobics for 1 hour

and 15 minutes, you will burn the extra 360 calories.**

* Based on a 130-pound person

** Based on a 160-pound person

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Estimated Calorie Requirements

(In Kilocalories) for Each Gender and Age Group at Three Levels of Physical Activitya

This chart shows how many calories are recommended for both males and

females in all age groups. The energy requirements also are broken down

into levels of activity from sedentary to active. This should give you a sense

of how many calories, ENERGY IN, your family members need. 

Source: HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Estimate Calorie Requirements

Activity Levelb,c,d

Gender Age (years) Sedentaryb Moderately Actived

Activec

Child 2–3 1,000 1,000–1,400e 1,000–1,400e

Female 4–8 1,200 1,400–1,600 1,400–1,800

9–13 1,600 1,600–2,000 1,800–2,200

14–18 1,800 2,000 2,400

19–30 2,000 2,000–2,200 2,400

31–50 1,800 2,000 2,200

51+ 1,600 1,800 2,000–2,200

Male 4–8 1,400 1,400–1,600 1,600–2,000

9–13 1,800 1,800–2,200 2,000–2,600

14–18 2,200 2,400–2,800 2,800–3,200

19–30 2,400 2,600–2,800 3,000

31–50 2,200 2,400–2,600 2,800–3,000

51+ 2,000 2,200–2,400 2,400–2,800

a These levels are based on Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) from the Institute of Medicine Dietary

Reference Intakes macronutrients report, 2002, calculated by gender, age, and activity level for

reference-sized individuals. “Reference size,” as determined by IOM, is based on median height and

weight for ages up to age 18 years of age and median height and weight for that height to give a BMI of

21.5 for adult females and 22.5 for adult males.

b Sedentary means a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

c Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 

3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical

day-to-day life

d Active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 

3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

e The calorie ranges shown are to accommodate needs of different ages within the group. For children and

adolescents, more calories are needed at older ages. For adults, fewer calories are needed at older ages.

Estimated amounts of calories needed to maintain energy balance for

various gender and age groups at three different levels of physical activity.

The estimates are rounded to the nearest 200 calories and were determined

using the Institute of Medicine equation. 
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Lesson 3:

Lesson Overview

Lesson 3 focuses on the ENERGY IN part of the

energy balance equation. Participants will learn

how to identify GO, SLOW, and WHOA foods in

order to limit fat, added sugar, and calories in

their foods and drinks. Participants also will be

given other tips and tools to help them learn how

to help their family maintain a healthy weight 

by reducing their calorie intake. 

Lesson Objectives 

By the end of this lesson, the participants will 

be able to:

• List three ways to reduce fat and added sugar 

in daily eating.

• List two examples each of GO, SLOW, and

WHOA foods.

• Suggest five alternatives to a traditional recipe

or ingredient to reduce fat and added sugar.

Lesson Activities

• Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar, 

Part 1 (20 minutes)

• Stretch Break (5 minutes)

• We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar, 

Part 2 (25 minutes)

• We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More 

(4 minutes)

• Wrap-Up (1 minute)

Total Time

60 Minutes

What To Feed My Family:

Manage ENERGY IN
Materials Needed

Warm-Up 

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 59

❑ Markers

❑ Easel and large paper

Reducing Fat and Added Sugar, Part 1 

❑ Using the Nutrition Facts Label handout, p. 101

❑ GO, SLOW, and WHOA Foods handout, p. 103 

❑ Estimated Calorie Requirements handout, p. 105

❑ USDA Food Guide handout, p. 107

Reducing Fat and Added Sugar, Part 2 

❑ Deck of cards

❑ Six small paper plates

❑ Six index cards

❑ Marker

❑ Can of shortening or tub of butter

❑ Small bag of white granulated sugar

❑ A 1-teaspoon measuring spoon 

❑ Napkins or paper towels to clean up

❑ We Can! Prepare Healthy Recipes handout, p. 109

❑ We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar in Meals and Snacks handout, p. 111

❑ Pens or pencils 

We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More 

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 59 

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More tracking grid, p. 61

Facilitator’s Preparation

Warm-Up 

❑ Photocopy handout (one for each participant).

❑ Set up easel, large paper, and markers.

Reducing Fat and Added Sugar, Part 1

❑ Photocopy handouts (one for each participant).

Reducing Fat and Added Sugar, Part 2 

❑ Photocopy handouts (one for each participant).

❑ Purchase items needed for demonstration.

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3. ASK one or two participants to share their experience of trying out the tips.

Was it easy or difficult?

4. CONGRATULATE everyone on working so hard to help their family maintain

a healthy weight.

We Can! Reduce Fat and Sugar, Part 1 (20 minutes)

1. ■■■SAY: In the last session we talked about energy balance—maintaining

a healthy weight by balancing the calories we take in through eating and

drinking with the calories we burn off to maintain our bodies’ functions 

and through physical activity. 

Today we’re going to focus on the ENERGY IN part of the energy balance

equation. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends a healthy

diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat

milk and milk products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans and nuts;

and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and

added sugars. To learn more about the HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines, visit

the Web site whose link is provided in the back the Parent Handbook that

you received in the first lesson. 

In this program, we’ll learn ways to reduce calories by limiting total fat 

and added sugar so we can help ourselves and our families maintain 

a healthy weight. 

■■■SAY: Can you tell me which foods are high in fat and added sugar?

ENCOURAGE participants to share their thoughts, here are some 

possible responses:

• Fried foods

• Soda and sweets (doughnuts, cake, cookies, ice cream, candy)

• Fatty meals

• Milk products made with whole milk (whole milk, cheese)

• Added fats in cooking and at the table (oils, butter, margarine)

■■■SAY: Consuming foods that are high in fat or added sugar can make 

it difficult to maintain energy balance because those foods and drinks are

often high in calories. Another reason to cut back on foods that are high 

in fat or added sugar—like doughnuts, candy, or potato chips—is that they

also are low in vitamins, minerals, and other components your body needs

for good health.

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It’s hard to maintain an energy balance if you eat many of these foods,

especially if you’re not active enough to burn off the extra calories. 

If you or someone in your family needs to achieve energy balance by

reducing the amount of energy you take in, the best place to start is to

reduce foods and drinks that are high in fat or added sugars. Sometimes

we think we know the fat, added sugar, or calorie content of foods, but

often we don’t. Some foods are higher in calories than we may realize. 

The first step to reducing your calories is to recognize those foods that

are high in fat and added sugar, and therefore, calories. Once you

know this, then you can cut back on fat and added sugar by: 

• Choosing high-fat, high-added sugar foods less often.

• Reducing the portion size of those foods and drinks.

• Substituting foods high in fat or added sugar in your meals and recipes

with foods or drinks that are lower in fat or added sugar. 

2. ■■■SAY: How do you know which foods are high in fat and added sugar?

One of the best tools you can use to recognize high calorie foods is the

Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list. This label is found on most packaged

foods. Because we eat so many processed and pre-prepared foods, the

Nutrition Facts label can really help you learn more about the foods you

choose. On the label you will find the serving size, calories, amounts of fat,

sugar, and nutrients a food or drink has. In addition, you also will find the

amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

3. HAND OUT the Using the Nutrition Facts Label handout. 

4. ■■SAY: ■Please take a few minutes to look over the Using the Nutrition

Facts Label handout.

5. ASK: What is the serving size of this food? (Answer: 1 cup) How many

calories are there in this package of food? (Answer: 500 calories) How

many grams (g) of total fat are in the package? (Answer: 24 g) What is 

the % Daily Value (% DV) of fat for a serving for this food? (Answer: 18%)

6. ■■SA■Y: Some of you may have thought the answer was “250 calories

and 12 grams of fat” because the label lists the amount of calories and

fat for only one serving, but this package has two servings so you have to

double the amount of calories and fat listed in one serving. The % DV for

fat for one serving is 18 percent, which is less than the 20 percent

recommendation and would make it a low-fat food.

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It’s important to know how to use a Nutrition Facts label so that you don’t

eat an entire package of food and get more calories than you expected.

Calories provide a measure of how much ENERGY you get from a serving 

of food. Many Americans consume too many calories. The calorie section 

of the label can help you manage your weight. Remember, the number of

servings you consume determines the number of calories you actually eat.

It is also important to know that each gram of fat you eat equals 9 calories

and has twice as much energy as carbohydrates (including sugar) and protein.

Limiting the amount of fat you eat is one great way to limit your calorie

intake. On the right side of the label, you will see a column of percentages

labeled “% Daily Value.” These percentages tell you whether the food

contains a lot or a little of that nutrient. Use the “5–20” guide to make

sense of the % DV. Twenty percent or more DV is high in that nutrient; 

5% or less DV is low. So, if you want to cut back on fat, try to choose

foods that are less than 20% DV for total fat.

Keep in mind that sugars listed on the Nutrition Facts label include

naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit and milk) as well as those

added to a food or drink. Sugar is added to many processed foods, and

that adds calories. To cut back on added sugars, choose packaged foods

that do not list added sugars as one of the first few ingredients in the

ingredient list. Some names for added sugars include: corn syrup, highfructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose,

honey, and maple syrup. You also can compare the amount of total sugar

on the Nutrition Facts labels of two products.

Being label-literate will help you recognize foods that are high in fat and

added sugar, and then you can eat them less often, reduce the portion

sizes, or use substitutions. Before we go on to talk about those strategies,

does anyone have any questions about reading the Nutrition Facts label?

7.■■■SAY: Once you know that a food is high in fat or added sugar, one strategy

for reducing the amount of calories is to have those foods less often. The

Nutrition Facts label can help you choose foods lower in fat and added sugar.

Here’s another easy way to help you make smart food choices with foods that

don’t always come with a label. It’s called: GO, SLOW, and WHOA.

• GO FOODS contain a low amount of fat and added sugar. GO foods 

are nutrient-dense foods, which means that they are rich in nutrients 

and relatively low in calories. Examples of GO foods include: fruits and

vegetables, whole-grain foods without added fats, low-fat milk and milk

products, and lean cuts of meat. Enjoy GO foods almost any time.

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• SLOW FOODS are higher in fat and added sugar than GO foods.

Examples of SLOW foods include: vegetables prepared with added fat

and sauces, French toast, fruit canned in syrup, 2 percent low-fat milk,

and whole eggs cooked without added fat. You can have SLOW foods

sometimes—at most several times a week.

• WHOA FOODS are the highest in fat and added sugar of the three groups.

WHOA foods have the most calories (they are “calorie dense”) and many

are low in nutrients. Examples of WHOA foods include: fried foods;

baked goods such as croissants, doughnuts, cakes, and pies; whole

milk; candy; regular soda; and chips. Have WHOA foods only once in a

while or on special occasions.

8. HAND OUT the GO, SLOW, and WHOA chart, Estimated Calorie

Requirements handout, and USDA Food Guide handout to participants. 

9. ■■■SAY: The Estimated Calorie Requirements handout explains how

many calories are required for both males and females at each age group

and with varying amounts of physical activity. The USDA Food Guide

handout provides specific recommendations on the amount of food 

and serving sizes for each recommended calorie level.

10. ■■■SAY: The GO, SLOW, and WHOA chart has categories on foods for

almost anytime, sometimes, and only once in a while. Take it to the

grocery store next time you go with your children so they can help you

stock your house primarily with GO and SLOW foods. Remember, if you

don’t have WHOA foods in your house, you and your family won’t be

tempted to eat them.

One of the major differences between GO, SLOW, and WHOA foods is the

way you prepare them. On the back of the handout, you can see how a

GO food, such as a potato, was changed into a SLOW food by adding a

little butter and sour cream, or changed into a WHOA food by making it

into french fries. 

11. ASK: 

• What are some WHOA foods that your family eats a lot of that you

could offer them less often?

• What GO or SLOW foods can you and your family eat more often 

to replace those WHOA foods? 

LISTEN to responses from participants. RECORD their ideas on large paper.

12.■■■SAY: Before we talk about our other strategies for reducing fat and

added sugar from your family’s daily eating, let’s take a stretch break. 

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Stretch Break! (5 minutes)

■■■SAY: When the experts say we should be more physically active, they

don’t mean that we should only strap on a pair of running shoes and head

out the door. They mean we should be active in lots of ways. Stretching is

one way to be more active. Stretches can be easy to do, they don’t require

space or equipment, and you can do them anytime. Here’s a good stretch

that focuses on your neck and shoulders. Please stand up by your chair and

make sure you have room to move around. If you feel any pain, please don’t

continue the stretch. When stretching, especially your neck muscles, try not

to overextend the muscle in the stretch so that you hurt yourself. Just do it

with enough effort so you can feel the stretch comfortably.

Take a few slow, deep breaths and let your body relax. Lean your head to the

right slowly so you stretch out the muscles in your neck. Hold for three slow

counts, 1–2–3. Now, bring your head back to the middle. Lean your head

over to the left now. Hold for three slow counts, 1–2–3. Now, bring your

head back to the middle. Lean your head back slowly, again remember not

to overextend the neck muscles...you want to move slowly into a comfortable

stretch, and hold for three slow counts, 1–2–3. Now, bring your head back

to the middle. Finally, bring your head forward. Hold for three slow counts,

1–2–3. Now, bring your head back to the middle. 

Now, bring your right shoulder slowly toward your ear and bring it back down.

Do this five times. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Now do it for the left shoulder. 1, 2, 3, 4,

5. Now move both of your shoulders in forward circles. Do this five times.

Now move both of your shoulders in backwards circles. Do this five times.

Bring your right arm straight in front of you. Keeping your right arm straight,

with your left forearm, pull the right arm toward your chest above the elbow

of the right arm. Hold this stretch for 5 seconds. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Slowly

bring your right arm back to center and drop it down. Let’s do this for the left

side. Bring your left arm up in front of you. Keeping your left arm straight,

with your right forearm pull the left arm toward your chest above the elbow of

the left arm. Hold this stretch for 5 seconds. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Slowly bring

your right arm back to center and drop it down.

Good job, everyone. Now that we’ve gotten in a good shoulder and neck

stretch, let’s talk a little more about ENERGY IN.

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We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar, Part 2 (25 minutes)

1. ■■■SAY: Another strategy for reducing ENERGY IN by cutting back on fat

and added sugar is to limit portions of foods that are high in fat or added

sugar. We introduced this idea in the last lesson when we did the Portion

Distortion activity. 

2. SHOW the participants the deck of cards. 

3. ■■■SAY: This deck of cards is the same size as about 3 ounces or one

serving of meat. How many of you have had a steak this size? You don’t

have to have such a small serving size when you eat meat, but remember,

when you eat more than one serving size, you have to take into account

the additional calories you’re getting. Balance the extra calories by

consuming fewer calories elsewhere in your day or through physical activity.

4. If participants ask about how many servings of food they should be eating

for certain food groups, REFER them to the Sample USDA Food

Guide and the DASH Eating Plan handout. 

5. ■■SAY: ■Another way to reduce your fat and added sugar intake—and

therefore your calorie intake—is to substitute foods lower in fat or 

added sugar for those higher in fat or added sugar. We’re going to do 

a demonstration now that not only will show you how much fat or added

sugar some common foods contain, but also will show you the power 

of substitutions.

6. ASK for a volunteer to come to the front of the room to help you with this

demonstration. ASK the volunteer to spoon out 101/2 teaspoons of sugar

onto the plate in front of the index card that reads “12-ounce regular

soda” and make sure the plate in front of the card that reads “12-ounce

water” remains empty. 

7. ASK: 

• A 12-ounce can of regular soda has 101/2 teaspoons of added sugar.

According to the card, each soda is 150 calories. If you drank a 12-ounce

regular soda every day for a year, how much sugar would that be?

(ANSWER: 30 pounds sugar) How much weight would one lose in a year

after switching from regular soda to water or a calorie-free soda?

(ANSWER: 151/2 pounds)

8.■■■SAY: Regular soda is an obvious example of an item that’s important

for weight control because of its high sugar and low nutrient content, but

watch out for other similar kinds of drinks, such as sport drinks and fruit

drinks that contain less than 100 percent fruit juice. Encourage your family

to drink water, fat-free or low-fat milk, and other low-calorie beverages. 

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9. ASK:

• What could you do to help your family have fewer drinks that are high in

added sugar?

10. CHOOSE another volunteer. GIVE him or her a teaspoon and the can of

shortening or tub of butter.

■■■SAY: This shortening/butter represents the fat in foods and drinks.

11. ASK the volunteer to spoon out the number of teaspoons of fat onto

each plate according to the information on the two milk index cards in

front of it. 

12. ASK: 

• According to the card, how many fewer calories would you consume if

you switched from 1 cup of whole milk to 1 percent reduced-fat milk?

(ANSWER: 50 calories) How many calories would you save a week if

you switched to 1 percent reduced-fat milk every day? 

(ANSWER: 350 calories) 

■■SAY: ■Switching to a cup of fat-free milk, which has no fat at all,

would save even more calories.

ASK:

• Who has successfully switched the milk that their family drinks to a

lower fat milk? What did you do to convince them to switch? 

13.■■SAY: ■Remember that deck of cards we saw that represents a serving

of meat? We’re now going to look at types of meat that have different

amounts of fat and calories even though they’re the same serving size. 

14. ASK: 

• According to the card, how many fewer calories would you consume 

if you switched from 3 ounces of sausage for dinner to 3 ounces of

skinless chicken breast? 

■■■SAY: That’s right, you will have reduced your energy intake by about

160 calories. That’s more than the calories in an entire chicken breast

itself. If you make a change like this one every day of the week, you

can reduce your energy intake by around 1,100 calories. Processed

and packaged meats have Nutrition Facts labels that tell you the fat

and calorie content. Fresh meats don’t have Nutrition Facts labels, but

you can use your GO, SLOW, and WHOA list to find lower-fat cuts of meat. 

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15. GUIDE a short discussion with the following questions:

• What do you think will be the most difficult part about asking your

family to make the changes we’ve been talking about? 

• What kind of solutions do you feel would help overcome those challenges? 

LISTEN to responses from participants. RECORD their ideas on large paper.

16. ASK: Who didn’t realize that soda had so much added sugar or that

sausage had so much fat? 

17.■■■SAY: Remember, substituting foods and drinks high in fat and added

sugar with foods that are lower in fat or added sugar decreases the amount

of calories that you take in. 

18. ASK participants to split up into groups of three. HAND OUT the 

We Can! Prepare Healthy Recipes handout.

19. ASK: What kinds of things did this family do to make their meal lower 

in calories? 

If necessary, probe for:

• Used extra lean ground beef or lean turkey 

• Drained the fat from the meat after cooking

• Used reduced-fat or fat-free ricotta, Monterey Jack, 

and parmesan cheeses

• Used low-fat or fat-free salad dressing

• Used homemade croutons with no added fat 

• Used applesauce instead of butter in the cookies

• Reduced the amount of sugar in the cookies

• Reduced the amount of chocolate chips in the cookies

• Used egg white in place of a whole egg

20. HAND OUT the We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar in Meals 

and Snacks handout.

21.■■■SAY: I’m also giving you a tip sheet on ways to reduce fat and added

sugar to meals and snacks. Using this tip sheet together with the ideas 

on the We Can! Prepare Healthy Recipes handout, please take the next 

5 minutes to think of a few recipes or ingredients you commonly use that

can be substituted by a food or drink with less fat or added sugar. 

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22. REMIND the participants when they have 1 minute remaining. 

23. ENCOURAGE participants to share their answers with each other.

24. EXPLAIN that the We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar in Meals and

Snacks handout has ideas for smart snacks for your children and also

recommends visiting the We Can! Web site for even more healthful

snacks your kids will enjoy.

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More (4 minutes)

1. HAND OUT a new We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout

and tracking grid. 

2. ASK participants to pick two new nutrition and physical activity tips to try

and write down their tips on the We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move

More tracking grid to bring home. They can choose tips from the handout

or any of the suggestions that came up during today’s session. ASK one

or two participants to share which tips they plan on trying and how they

plan on getting their children to help them with the tip. 

3.■■SAY: ■Remember to add your new tips to the master tracking grid you’re

keeping at home so you can keep everything in one place. 

4. ENCOURAGE them to try tips related to reducing fat or added sugar in

their family’s daily eating.

Wrap-Up (1 minute) 

1.■■■SAY: Today we discussed the ENERGY IN part of the energy balance

equation. You now have some more tools to take home to your families to

help them maintain a healthy weight. 

2. ASK: Remember the Portion Distortion activity we did in the last lesson,

how long would a 150-pound person need to rake leaves in order to burn

the calories in a 6-inch bagel? (Answer: 50 minutes) In the next lesson,

you’ll learn how physical activity can help balance the energy equation and

how to fit physical activity into your family’s busy schedules.

3. THANK participants for participating in this session. ASK whether they

have any questions or comments.

100
Using the Nutrition Facts Label

Most packaged foods have a Nutrition Facts label. For a healthier you, use

this tool to make smart food choices quickly and easily. Try these tips:

• Keep these low: saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and sodium.

• Get enough of these: potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.

• Use the % Daily Value (DV) column when possible: 5% DV or less is low,

20% DV or more is high.

CHECK SERVINGS AND CALORIES. Look at the serving size and how many

servings you are actually consuming. If you double the servings you eat, you

double the calories and nutrients, including the % DVs.

MAKE YOUR CALORIES COUNT. Look at the calories on the label and compare

them with what nutrients you are also getting to decide whether the food is

worth eating. 

DON’T SUGAR-COAT IT. Since sugars contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients,

look for foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the ingredient list

and make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients.

Some names for added sugars (caloric sweeteners) include sucrose, glucose,

high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose.

KNOW YOUR FATS. Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol

to help reduce the risk of heart disease (5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is

high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated

fats. Keep total fat intake between 20 percent to 35 percent of calories.

REDUCE SODIUM (SALT), INCREASE POTASSIUM. Research shows that eating less

than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 tsp of salt) per day might reduce

the risk of high blood pressure. Most of the sodium people eat comes from

processed foods, not from the saltshaker. Also, look for foods high in

potassium, which counteracts some of sodium’s effects on blood pressure.

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Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods

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Almost all fresh, frozen, and

canned vegetables without

added fat and sauces

All vegetables with added

fat and sauces; oven-baked

french fries; avocado

Fried potatoes, like french

fries or hash browns; other

deep-fried vegetables

Use this chart as a guide to help you and your family make smart food choices. Post it on your

refrigerator at home or take it with you to the store when you shop. Refer to the Estimated

Calorie Requirements on page 105 and Sample USDA Food Guide and the DASH Eating

Plan at the 2,000-Calorie Level on page 107 to determine how much of these foods to eat to

maintain energy balance.

GO Foods—Eat almost anytime.

SLOW Foods—Eat sometimes, at most several times a week.

WHOA Foods—Eat only once in a while or for special treats.

➔ ➔

Vegetables 

GO

Almost anytime foods

SLOW

Sometimes foods

WHOA

Once in a while foods

Food Group

All fresh, frozen, canned 

(in juice) 

100 percent fruit juice;

fruits canned in light syrup;

dried fruits 

Fruits canned in 

heavy syrup

Fruits

Whole-grain breads, pita

bread; tortillas and pasta;

brown rice; hot and cold

unsweetened whole grain

breakfast cereals

White refined flour bread,

rice, and pasta. French

toast; taco shells;

cornbread; biscuits; granola;

waffles and pancakes

Croissants; muffins;

doughnuts; sweet rolls;

crackers made with trans

fats; sweetened breakfast

cereals

Breads and

Cereals

Fat-free or 1 percent

reduced-fat milk; fat-free or

low-fat yogurt; part skim,

reduced fat, and fat-free

cheese; low-fat or fat-free

cottage cheese

2 percent low-fat milk;

processed cheese spread 

Whole milk; full-fat

American, cheddar, Colby,

Swiss, cream cheese;

whole-milk yogurt

Milk and Milk

Products

Trimmed beef and pork;

extra lean ground beef;

chicken and turkey without

skin; tuna canned in water;

baked, broiled, steamed,

grilled fish and shellfish;

beans, split peas, lentils,

tofu; egg whites and egg

substitutes

Lean ground beef, broiled

hamburgers; ham,

Canadian bacon; chicken

and turkey with skin; low-fat

hot dogs; tuna canned in

oil; peanut butter; nuts;

whole eggs cooked without

added fat 

Untrimmed beef and pork;

regular ground beef; fried

hamburgers; ribs; bacon;

fried chicken, chicken

nuggets; hot dogs, lunch

meats, pepperoni, sausage;

fried fish and shellfish;

whole eggs cooked with fat

Meats, Poultry,

Fish, Eggs, beans

and Nuts

Ice milk bars; frozen fruit

juice bars; low-fat frozen

yogurt and ice-cream; fig

bars, ginger snaps, baked

chips; low-fat microwave

popcorn; pretzels

Cookies and cakes; pies;

cheese cake; ice cream;

chocolate; candy; chips;

buttered microwave

popcorn

Sweets and

Snacks*

Vinegar; ketchup; mustard;

fat-free creamy salad

dressing; fat-free mayonnaise; fat-free sour cream,

Vegetable oil, olive oil and

oil-based salad dressing**

Low-fat creamy salad

dressing; low-fat

mayonnaise; low-fat sour

cream

Butter, margarine; lard; salt

pork; gravy; regular creamy

salad dressing; mayonnaise;

tartar sauce; sour cream;

cheese sauce; cream

sauce; cream cheese dips

Fats

Nutrient-dense Calorie-dense
104

Water, fat-free milk or 

1 percent reduced-fat milk;

diet soda; diet iced teas

and lemonade

2 percent low-fat milk; 

100 percent fruit juice;

sports drinks

Whole milk; regular soda;

sweetened iced teas and

lemonade; fruit drinks with

less than 100 percent

fruit juice

Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods, continued.

➔ ➔

Beverages

GO

Almost anytime foods

SLOW

Sometimes foods

WHOA

Once in a while foods

Food Group

*Though some of the foods in this row are lower in fat and calories, all sweets and snacks need to be

limited in order to not exceed one’s daily calorie requirements.

**Vegetable and olive oils contain no saturated or trans fats and can be consumed daily, but in limited

portions to meet daily calorie needs. (See Sample USDA Food Guide and DASH Eating Plan at the 

2,000-Calorie Level handout)

Source: Adapted from CATCH: Coordinated Approach to Child Health, 4th Grade Curriculum, University of

California and Flaghouse, Inc. 2002

Nutrient-dense Calorie-dense

From Go to Slow to Whoa: The Importance of How To Prepare Food

GO SLOW WHOA

Vegetable Plain baked potato Baked potato with 1 tsp French fries 

butter and 1 tsp sour cream

Bread Slice of toast Slice of French toast Doughnut

Meat Skinless chicken breast Chicken with skin Fried chicken
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Estimated Calorie Requirements

(In Kilocalories) for Each Gender and Age Group at Three Levels of Physical Activitya

This chart shows how many calories are recommended for both males and

females in all age groups. The energy requirements also are broken down

into levels of activity from sedentary to active. This should give you a sense

of how many calories, ENERGY IN, your family members need. 

Source: HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Estimate Calorie Requirements

Activity Levelb,c,d

Gender Age (years) Sedentaryb Moderately Actived

Activec

Child 2–3 1,000 1,000–1,400e 1,000–1,400e

Female 4–8 1,200 1,400–1,600 1,400–1,800

9–13 1,600 1,600–2,000 1,800–2,200

14–18 1,800 2,000 2,400

19–30 2,000 2,000–2,200 2,400

31–50 1,800 2,000 2,200

51+ 1,600 1,800 2,000–2,200

Male 4–8 1,400 1,400–1,600 1,600–2,000

9–13 1,800 1,800–2,200 2,000–2,600

14–18 2,200 2,400–2,800 2,800–3,200

19–30 2,400 2,600–2,800 3,000

31–50 2,200 2,400–2,600 2,800–3,000

51+ 2,000 2,200–2,400 2,400–2,800

a These levels are based on Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) from the Institute of Medicine Dietary

Reference Intakes macronutrients report, 2002, calculated by gender, age, and activity level for

reference-sized individuals. “Reference size,” as determined by IOM, is based on median height and

weight for ages up to age 18 years of age and median height and weight for that height to give a BMI of

21.5 for adult females and 22.5 for adult males.

b Sedentary means a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

c Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 

3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical

day-to-day life

d Active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 

3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.

e The calorie ranges shown are to accommodate needs of different ages within the group. For children and

adolescents, more calories are needed at older ages. For adults, fewer calories are needed at older ages.

Estimated amounts of calories needed to maintain energy balance for

various gender and age groups at three different levels of physical activity.

The estimates are rounded to the nearest 200 calories and were determined

using the Institute of Medicine equation. 
106
Sample USDA Food Guide and 

the DASH Eating Plan at the 

2,000-Calorie Level

Amounts of various food groups that are recommended each day or each

week in the USDA Food Guide and in the DASH Eating Plan (amounts are

daily unless otherwise specified) at the 2,000-calorie level. Also identified

are equivalent amounts for different food choices in each group. To follow

either eating pattern, food choices over time should provide these amounts of

food from each group on average.

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USDA Food 

Guide Amountb

DASH Eating

Plan Amount

Equivalent

Amounts

Food Groups

and Subgroups

2.5 cups (5 servings) 

3 cups/week 

2 cups/week

3 cups/week

3 cups/week

6.5 cups/week

2 to 2.5 cups 

(4 to 5 servings) 

1/2 cup equivalent is:

•1/2 cup of cut-up raw or

•cooked vegetable

•1 cup raw leafy

vegetable

•USDA: 1/2 cup vegetable

juice

•DASH: 3/4 cup vegetable

juice

Vegetable Group

•Dark green

vegetables

•Orange vegetables

•Legumes (dry beans)

•Starchy vegetables

•Other vegetables 

6 ounce-equivalents

3 ounce-equivalents

3 ounce-equivalents

7 to 8 ounce-equivalents

(7 to 8 servings) 

1 ounce-equivalent is:

•1 slice bread

•1 cup dry cereal

•1/2 cup cooked rice,

pasta, cereal

•DASH: 1 ounce dry

cereal (1/2–11/4 cup

depending on cereal

type—check label)

Grain Group

•Whole grains

•Other grains

5.5 ounce-equivalents 6 ounces or less 

meat, poultry, fish 

4 to 5 servings per week

nuts, seeds, and dry

beans

1 ounce-equivalent is:

•1 ounce of cooked lean

meats, poultry, fish

•1 egg

•USDA: 1/4 cup cooked

dry beans or tofu, 1 Tbsp

peanut butter 1/2 ounce

nuts or seeds

•DASH: 11/2 ounces nuts, 1/2 ounce seeds, 1/2 cup

cooked dry beans

Meat and Beans

Group

2 cups (4 servings) 2 to 2.5 cups 

(4 to 5 servings) 

1/2 cup equivalent is:

•1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or

canned fruit

•1 medium fruit

•1/4 cup dried fruit

•USDA: 1/2 cup fruit juice

•DASH: 3/4 cup fruit juice

Fruit Group
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Source: HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

a All servings are per day unless otherwise noted. USDA vegetable subgroup amounts and amounts of DASH

nuts, seeds, and dry beans are per week.

b The 2,000 calorie USDA Food Guide is appropriate for many sedentary males 51 to 70 years of age,

sedentary females 19 to 30 years of age, and for some other gender/age groups who are more physically

active. See table 3 for information about gender/age/activity levels and appropriate calorie intakes. See

appendixes A2 and A3 for more information on the food groups, amounts, and food intake patterns at

other calorie levels. The calorie requirements of children ages 8–13 range from 1,200–2,600 depending

on their activity level. (See Estimated Calorie Requirements handout for more information.)

c In the DASH Eating Plan, nuts, seeds, and dry beans are a separate food group from meat, poultry, 

and fish.

d The oils listed in this table are not considered to be part of discretionary calories because they are a major

source of the vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, in the food

pattern. In contrast, solid fats (i.e., saturated and trans fats) are listed separately as a source of

discretionary calories.

continued

3 cups 2 to 3 cups 1 cup equivalent is:

•1 cup low-fat/fat-free

milk, yogurt

•11/2 ounces of low-fat or

fat-free natural cheese

•2 ounces of low-fat or

fat-free processed cheese

Milk Group

USDA Food Guide

Amountb

DASH Eating

Plan Amount

Equivalent

Amounts

Food Groups

and Subgroups

4 grams (6 tsp) 8 to 12 grams 

(2 to 3 tsp) 

1 tsp equivalent is:

•DASH: 1 tsp soft

margarine

•1 Tbsp lowfat mayo

•2 Tbsp light salad 

dressing

•1 tsp vegetable oil

Oils

267 calories

18 grams

8 tsp

18 grams

~2 tsp (5 Tbsp per week)

1 Tbsp added sugar

equivalent is:

•DASH: 1 Tbsp jelly or

jam

•1/2 ounce jelly beans

•8 ounces lemonade

Discretionary

Calorie Allowance

•Example of

distribution:

Solid fatd

Added sugars
We Can! Prepare Healthy Recipes

In the right column, you will find notes on how you can make easy changes 

to the ingredients in the left column to lower the amount of fat, added sugar,

and calories in these recipes. On the next page, think of at least five recipes

you make or ingredients that you use often for your family where you can

lower the fat or added sugar.

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Lasagna

Ingredients: Substitutions:

1 box lasagna noodles

1 pound ground beef 1 pound extra lean ground beef (93 percent

lean) or lean ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

8 oz mushrooms, optional

1 jar (about 16 ounces) spaghetti sauce, your favorite 1 jar spaghetti sauce, no added fat

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled

11/2 cups ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 cups reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; Notes: Don’t forget to drain the fat from the

drain and set aside. In a large skillet, brown beef, onion, meat after you brown it. Use cooking spray

and mushrooms. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, instead of butter to grease the dish.

salt, oregano, and basil. In a 2-quart buttered baking 

dish (about 11x7x2 inches), layer 1/3 of the lasagna 

noodles, 1/3 of the sauce, and 1/3 of the ricotta 

cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and Parmesan cheeses. 

Repeat layers twice. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes or 

until thoroughly heated and bubbly. Let stand for 8 to 

10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Salad

Ingredients: Substitutions:

1 head iceberg lettuce 1 head of dark lettuces (radicchio, romaine, 

red leaf, etc.)

2 cups croutons

1/2 cup regular salad dressing 1/4 cup fat-free or reduced-fat salad dressing

1 cup tuna salad with mayonnaise 1 cup tuna canned in water and drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup sliced red or green peppers

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup shredded carrots

Wash and tear lettuce and place in a large bowl. 

Wash and prepare vegetables and add to lettuce. 

Add dressing and toss.
110

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: Substitutions:

1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup white sugar 3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs 1 whole egg and 1 egg white

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees 

Celsius). Cream together the butter, white sugar, and 

brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a 

time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in 

hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, 

chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls 

onto ungreased pans. Bake for about 10 minutes 

in the preheated oven or until edges are nicely browned.

Recipes that I make or ingredients that I use often for my family

Ingredients I use: Substitutions I could make:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Source: HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans
We Can! Reduce Fat and Added Sugar 

in Meals and Snacks

Try some of these tips for reducing your calorie intake with your family. 

Substitutions:

❑ Cook with low-fat methods such as baking, broiling, boiling, or microwaving,

rather than frying.

❑ Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products, salad dressings, and mayonnaise.

❑ Serve fruit instead of cookies or ice cream for dessert.

❑ Add salsa on a baked potato instead of butter or sour cream.

❑ Eat fruits canned in their own juice rather than syrup.

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Use these substitutions for when you cook or bake:

Instead of: Substitute:

1 cup cream 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk

1 cup butter, margarine or oil 1/2 cup apple butter or applesauce

1 egg 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute

Pastry dough Graham cracker crumb crust

Butter, margarine, or vegetable oil for sautéing Cooking spray, chicken broth, or a small 

amount of olive oil

Bacon Lean turkey bacon

Ground beef Extra lean ground beef or ground turkey breast

Sour cream Fat-free sour-cream

1 cup chocolate chips 1/4 – 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup sugar 3/4 cup sugar (this works with most 

everything except yeast breads)

1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise

1 cup whole milk 1 cup fat-free milk

1 cup cream cheese 1/2 cup ricotta cheese pureed with 1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese

Oil and vinegar dressing with 1 part olive oil + 1 part vinegar 

3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar (preferably a flavored) vinegar such as balsamic)

+ 1 part orange juice

Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 

plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or margarine
Other ideas to reduce the fat or added sugar in meals:

❑ Remove skin from poultry and do not eat it.

❑ Cool soups and gravies and skim off fat before reheating them.

❑ Cook chicken or fish by immersing it in simmering liquid.

❑ Using a microwave is a good alternative because it’s fast and doesn’t 

add fat or calories.

Ideas to choose healthier snacks:

❑ Toss sliced apples or berries on top of low-fat yogurt.

❑ Put a slice of low-fat or fat-free cheese on top of whole grain crackers.

❑ Make a whole wheat pita pocket with hummus, lettuce, tomato, 

and cucumber.

❑ Pop some low-fat popcorn.

❑ Sprinkle some dry whole-grain cereal on top of low-fat or fat-free yogurt.

❑ Microwave or toast a soft tortilla with low-fat cheese and sliced peppers

and mushrooms to make a mini-burrito or quesadilla.

❑ Drink low-fat chocolate milk (blend it with a banana or strawberries 

and some ice for a smoothie).

Try these healthy snack ideas! Be sure to watch portion size! Check the 

We Can! Web site at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov for more healthy snack

ideas!

112
Lesson 4:

Lesson Overview

This lesson will focus on the ENERGY OUT part

of the energy balance equation. Participants will

learn the importance of physical activity and will

discuss ways to increase the amount of physical

activity that they and their family get daily.

Lesson Objectives 

By the end of this lesson, the participants will 

be able to:

• List three reasons that being physically active 

is fun.

• List three ways of adding physical activity into

their family’s daily lives.

• List three ways to overcome challenges to

getting more physical activity.

• Identify the amount of time that adults and

children should be physically active daily.

Lesson Activities

• Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• ENERGY OUT: We Can! Find Fun in Physical

Activity (25 minutes)

• Stretch Break! (5 minutes)

• We Can! Fit In Daily Physical Activity (20 minutes)

• We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More

(4 minutes)

• Wrap-Up (1 minute)

Total Time

60 Minutes

Find Fun in Physical Activity:

ENERGY OUT
Materials Needed

Warm-Up

❑ Markers

❑ Easel and large paper

We Can! Find Fun in Physical Activity: ENERGY OUT

❑ Three easels and three sheets of large paper

❑ Three to six markers

❑ We Can! Make Physical Activity Fun! handout, p. 125

We Can! Fit In Daily Physical Activity

❑ We Can! Fit In Daily Physical Activity planner, p. 123

❑ Pencils

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More 

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 59

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More tracking grid, p. 61

Facilitator’s Preparation

Warm-Up 

❑ Set up easel, large paper, and markers.

We Can! Find Fun in Physical Activity: ENERGY OUT

❑ Set up three stations with an easel, large paper, and 1 or 2 markers at each

❑ Photocopy handout (one for each participant)

We Can! Fit In Daily Physical Activity

❑ Photocopy handouts (one for each participant)

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More 

❑ Photocopy handouts (one for each participant)

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

1. As participants walk into the room, ASK them to go to the large paper in

the front of the room and write down the nutrition and physical activity tip

they tried since the last lesson. 

2. As soon as everyone has written down the tips they chose, WELCOME

participants to the lesson.

114
3. ASK one or two participants to share their experience of trying out the tips.

Was it easy or difficult?

4. CONGRATULATE everyone on working so hard to help their family maintain

a healthy weight.

We Can! Find Fun in Physical Activity: ENERGY OUT 

(25 minutes)

1.■■■SAY: As you know, this program is about how we can keep our energy

balanced so that we can maintain a healthy weight. We’ve talked a lot

about limiting the number of calories you take into your body—your

ENERGY IN—but today we’re going to focus on spending those calories

through physical activity—your ENERGY OUT. 

We’ve all heard that Americans don’t get enough physical activity. We drive

everywhere instead of walking or biking. We have jobs where we sit at a

desk all day long. Our children sit all day at school. Many schools are

even cutting back on recess and physical education (P.E.) time. We have to

make an effort if we want to be physically active and get our ENERGY OUT.

And while it’s true that most Americans aren’t getting enough physical

activity, a lot of us ARE regularly physically active or HAVE BEEN at some

point in our lives. 

Let’s not think about all Americans now, let’s talk about all of us in the

room. We Can! be more active! Let’s talk about what’s easy and fun

about being physically active. I want you to really think about a time when

you were regularly physically active, if it’s now or in the past.

Facilitator’s Note: Write the participant’s thoughts down on a large paper so they can 

reflect on it at a later point. Keep this paper for an activity in Lesson 5.

2. ASK:

• How do you feel after a workout, or after doing something physically active? 

ENCOURAGE participants to share their thoughts, here are some

possible responses: 

• I feel energized. 

• Working out relieves stress.

• Being active improves my mood and sense of well-being.

• I get an adrenaline “high” after I work out that feels great.

• I feel productive, like I accomplished something.

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• What makes being physically active FUN for you? What makes you go

back for more? 

ENCOURAGE participants to share their thoughts, here are some

possible responses: 

• I get to spend quality time my friends/workout buddies.

• I get to spend time with my family.

• Certain activities are really fun (for example, I love to play tennis or 

go biking).

• I get to spend time outdoors.

• It is time that I get to spend alone with my thoughts; it’s meditative.

• We know it’s important to be physically active to help keep our muscles,

bones, and heart strong, and on top of it, it’s fun to do and feels

great—so why do you think a lot of us, including children, still aren’t

getting enough physical activity?

ENCOURAGE participants to share their thoughts, here are some

possible responses: 

• Not enough time in the day.

• Not safe to be outside in my neighborhood.

• I don’t have the equipment or skill to work out.

• I don’t have the motivation, it’s hard to get started.

• I’m tired at the end of the day and would rather relax.

3.■■■SAY: Even though there are challenges to being physically active, we

have ways to overcome those challenges. 

4. HAND OUT the We Can! Make Physical Activity Fun! handout.

5.■■■SAY: Here are some tips for overcoming challenges to being physically

active. Please read through this list for a few minutes. ALLOW participants

2–3 minutes to read the handout.

6. ASK: Has anyone ever tried one of these tips in the past and been

successful in increasing or maintaining their level of physical activity? 

What did you do and why do you think it worked? 

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7. LISTEN to responses from participants. 

■■■SAY: Now we’re going to brainstorm some ideas of activities we can

do that are easy, fun, and realistic to do.

8. DIVIDE the participants into three equal groups. ASK each group to go to

one of the large paper and easel stations you have set up around the

room. ASK each group to select a person to record the group’s answers

on the large paper. 

9. TELL each group that they have 10 minutes to come up with a list of as

many things that they can think of as physical activity that are EASY, FUN,

and REALISTIC for them and their families. 

10. REMIND the participants that physical activity does not always mean

organized sports or exercise like soccer or aerobics. Physical activity also

includes things like building a snowman with the children. 

11. REMIND participants when they have 1 minute remaining.

Facilitator’s Note: These physical activity lists will be used in the next activity. 

12. ASK the participants to hang their large paper on the wall and then come

back into a large group. CHOOSE a volunteer to read his or her group’s

list to the rest of the class. ASK the other groups to add any activities

from their lists that have not been mentioned. ASK another volunteer to

write down these additions on the first list, so as to create a “master list”

of ideas.

13.■■■SAY: You all just came up with a great list of things you can do for

yourselves and with your families to be more physically active and burn

those calories to maintain a healthy weight. With the tip sheet you have

on how to overcome challenges to being active, and the knowledge that

physical activity is fun and feels great, you are on your way to helping your

family maintain a healthy weight by being physically active. Let’s take a

stretch break that overcomes one of the challenges to being active—

having a desk job. 

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Stretch Break! (5 minutes)

■■■SAY: Some jobs, such as nursing, require you to walk around a lot.

Construction workers usually carry heavy equipment and do a lot of physical

activity while they work. But those people who work desk jobs don’t have the

opportunity to get physical activity when they are sitting a good portion of the

day. But all is not lost. You can do most of the stretches we have done in

this course at your desk. Here a few more stretches you can do while sitting

at your desk or in front of the television. Not only will it expend a little bit of

energy, but it also may energize and refresh you. 

Sit up straight in a chair with both feet flat on the floor. Look straight ahead.

Slowly reach around behind yourself with your right hand. Grasp the top right

corner of your chair with your right hand. Complete the stretch by moving

your left hand as close as possible to your right hand. Stretch as far as you

can and hold it for 15 seconds. Repeat five times on each side, twisting left

and right, aiming to turn the body a little farther each time.

Next, move your chair away a little bit from your desk so you have room to

stretch. Interlock your fingers, turn your palms outward and extend your arms

away from your body as far as you can. Keeping your back straight and arms

parallel to the table or the desk, bow your head slightly. Count to five and lift

it back up slowly. Repeat this, slowly five more times. 

While sitting, extend your arms in front of you and then lift them slowly

straight over your head as you inhale deeply. As you exhale, let your arms,

head, and shoulders curl down and dangle toward the floor. Curl back

upward, slowly and gently. Repeat three times.

Place your fingertips on your shoulders, elbows pointing out to the sides 

(so you look like a “chicken”). Pull your elbows back as far as you can.

Push your elbows forward and try to touch them together. Repeat 10 times.

Now, keeping your fingertips on your shoulders, lift your elbows up and then

push them down to your sides, as if you're trying to fly. Repeat 10 times. 

You can do these stretches when you’re sitting at your desk, or even in front

of the television. They are not vigorous activity, but they get your body

moving and your blood flowing. Stretching your muscles is an important part

of staying active in order to maintain a healthy weight. 

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We Can! Fit In Daily Physical Activity (20 minutes)

1. ASK: 

• How much physical activity should we, as adults, be getting each day?

If necessary, GUIDE participants to the following responses:

• At least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, above usual

activity, at work or home on most days of the week. 

• For most people, greater health benefits can be achieved by engaging

in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or longer duration. 

• To help manage body weight and prevent gradual, unhealthy body

weight gain in adulthood: Engage in approximately 60 minutes of

moderate-to-vigorous-intensity activity on most days of the week while

not exceeding caloric intake. (Some activities are either moderate- or

vigorous-intensity physical activity depending on the rate at which they

are carried out. For example, walking at 3.5 miles per hour is moderate

intensity activity, while jogging for 5 miles per hour is vigorous.) 

• To sustain weight loss in adulthood: Participate in at least 60 to 90

minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity while not exceeding

caloric intake requirements. Some people might need to consult with 

a health care provider before participating in this level of activity.

• How much physical activity should your children get?

If necessary, GUIDE participants to the following responses:

• At least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days 

of the week. 

2.■■■SAY: If these numbers sound intimidating to you, don’t worry. It’s not

as hard as it might seem to fit 60 minutes of physical activity into your daily

schedule. It doesn’t have to be all at once. Experts say that you can do

separate, shorter sessions of physical activity and get the same benefits.

For example, you can do sit-ups and stretching for 15 minutes in the

morning, take a 15-minute walk during lunch, and walk for 30 minutes

after dinner with the dog and/or family or friends. 

3. ASK: How many of the easy, fun, and realistic activities you wrote down

earlier can you do in short spurts throughout the day?

4. ASK participants if they have any other ideas for short bursts of activity

that they can do during their regularly scheduled days. ADD these to your

master list. 

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If necessary, probe for the following additional responses:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator (if you have many floors to go, 

try walking halfway up to your destination, then take the elevator the rest

of the way).

• Take a walk around the school parking lot while you’re waiting for your

child to get out of band practice.

• Take a walk break instead of a coffee break with a co-worker.

5.■■■SAY: Every day gives us opportunities to be more active. But sometimes

it’s hard to remember to do so and it’s hard to keep track of whether or not

we’ve gotten in 60 minutes of activity, and when we need to add a little more.

6. HAND OUT the We Can! Fit In Daily Physical Activity planner and a pencil

to each participant.

7.■■■SAY: Please take the next 10 minutes to fill out this We Can! Fit In

Daily Physical Activity planner with the types of activities you think you and

your family could realistically do, and the times of the week and day you

think you can do them. Feel free to discuss ideas with the people sitting

around you. Remember, be realistic. Don’t sign your family up to run a

marathon if you’ve never run one block. Start out small with those short

segments of activity that you can fit into your day and work your way up 

to longer and more involved activities. Remember, to prevent weight gain,

you and your children should be aiming for at least 60 minutes of

moderate-intensity physical activity a day. 

8. ALLOW participants 10 minutes to discuss with their group and fill out the

forms. REMIND them when they have 1 minute remaining.

9.■■■SAY: When you go home, ask your family if they would be willing to

review this list, add to it, and change anything if necessary. You should keep

it in a place where everyone can see it and refer to it if necessary. Try to

check back once a week to see if you’re achieving these goals. If not, you

may need to change them. You may consider offering a non-food-related

reward for achieving a certain number of the goals. You can download 

more copies at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. 

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We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More (4 minutes)

1. HAND OUT a new We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout

and tracking grid. 

2. ASK participants to pick two new nutrition and physical activity tips to try

this lesson and write them down on the We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and

Move More tracking grid. ASK one or two participants to share which tips

they plan on trying this session and how they plan to overcome any

challenges to trying those tips. 

3.■■■SAY: Remember to add your new tips to the master tracking grid you

started in Lesson 1 so you can keep everything in one place. 

4. ENCOURAGE them to continue to try the tips they picked during the last

lesson if they worked. 

Wrap-Up (1 minute) 

1.■■■SAY: Today we discussed the ENERGY OUT part of the energy balance

equation. Remember, being physically active is an important part of

keeping your energy balanced and maintaining a healthy weight. Take

home what you learned today and apply it to any challenges that your

whole family has to being physically active. 

2. ASK: Can anyone tell me how much screen time the average American

youth spends each day? (By screen time, I mean total amount of time

watching TV, DVDs, playing videos games, and recreational computer use.)

Do you know how much time your children spend in front of a screen? 

Join us next time as we talk about another way to increase ENERGY OUT...

by reducing screen time.

3. THANK participants for participating in this session. ASK whether they

have any questions or comments.

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We Can! Fit In Daily Physical Activity

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Type of

Activity

What day

of the week

What time

of the day

Who will

participate

Other notes Did we 

do it?

Example 1:

Walking the dog

Every day 7 AM

and

5 PM

Mom and Sally

Dad and John

At least 15–20

minutes!

Yes! Sally and

John switched

on Wednesday.

Example 2:

FrisbeeTM

Sunday 3 PM Everyone River View Park Yes—we played

for 2 hours

each Sunday

this month.

Example 3:

Get off the

school bus one

stop early

Monday–Friday 2:30 PM Sally and John Be careful

crossing Main

Street.

Yes, except for

Friday when 

we were tired.

Your activity:

Your activity:

Your activity:

Your activity:

Your activity:

Your activity:
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We Can! Make Physical Activity Fun!

Make time

• Identify available time slots. Monitor your daily activities for 1 week. Identify

at least three 30-minute time slots you could use for physical activity.

• Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike

to work or shopping, organize school activities around physical activity, walk

the dog, exercise while you watch TV, park farther away from your destination.

• Make time for physical activity. For example, walk, jog, or swim during your

lunch hour, or take fitness breaks instead of coffee breaks.

• Select activities requiring minimal time, such as walking, jogging, or stair climbing.

Bring others into it

• Explain your interest in physical activity to friends and family. Ask them to

support your efforts. Plan a time to be physically active with your children.

• Invite friends and family members to exercise with you. Plan social

activities involving exercise. Plan a party involving physical activity for

children’s friends.

• Develop new friendships with physically active people. Join a group, such 

as the YMCA or a hiking club.

Energize yourself

• Schedule physical activity for times in the day or week when you feel energetic.

• Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase

your energy level; then try it.

Stay motivated 

• Plan ahead. Make physical activity a regular part of your daily or weekly

schedule and write it on your calendar.

• Invite a friend to exercise with you on a regular basis and write it on both

your calendars.

• Join an exercise group or class.

• Select activities requiring no new skills, such as walking, climbing stairs, 

or jogging.

• Exercise with friends who are at the same skill level as you are.

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Prevent injury

• Learn how to warm up and cool down to prevent injury.

• Learn how to exercise appropriately considering your age, fitness level, skill

level, and health status.

• Choose activities involving minimum risk.

Build new skills

• Find a friend who is willing to teach you some new skills.

• Take a class to develop new skills.

Use available resources

• Select activities that require minimal facilities or equipment, such as

walking, jogging, jumping rope, or stretching and strengthening movements.

• Identify inexpensive, convenient resources available in your community

(such as community education programs, park and recreation programs,

and worksite programs).

Make the most of all conditions

• Develop a set of regular activities that are always available regardless of

weather (such as indoor cycling, aerobic dance, indoor swimming, stretching

and strengthening movements, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking,

dancing, and gymnasium games).

• Look at outdoor activities that depend on weather conditions (such as

cross-country skiing, outdoor swimming, and outdoor tennis) as “bonuses”—

extra activities possible when weather and circumstances permit.

Be physically active even when you travel

• Put a jump rope in your suitcase and jump in your room.

• Walk the halls and climb the stairs in hotels.

• Stay in places with swimming pools or exercise facilities.

• Join the YMCA or YWCA (ask about partner membership agreement).

• Visit the local shopping mall and walk for half an hour or more.

• Bring a small tape recorder and your favorite aerobic exercise tape.

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Work around your busy schedule

• Trade babysitting time with a friend, neighbor, or family member who also

has small children.

• Exercise with the kids: Go for a walk together, play tag or other running

games, get an aerobic dance or exercise tape for kids (there are several 

on the market) and exercise together. You can spend time together and 

still get your exercise.

• Hire a babysitter and look at the cost as a worthwhile investment in your

physical and mental health.

• Jump rope, do stretching and strengthening movements, ride a stationary

bicycle, or use other home gymnasium equipment while the kids are busy

playing or sleeping.

• Try to exercise when the kids are not around (such as during school hours

or their nap time).

• Encourage exercise facilities to provide child care services.

Adapted from: “How Can I Overcome Challenges to Physical Activity? Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity.

www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/life/overcome.htm

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Lesson 5:

Lesson Overview

This lesson will teach participants about another

way to increase the ENERGY OUT part of the

energy balance equation. It strives to reduce

screen time to no more than 2 hours a day by

replacing at least some of that time with physical

activity. This strategy will help adults and youth

meet the recommendations of 60 minutes of

physical activity each day. 

Lesson Objectives 

By the end of this lesson, the participants will 

be able to:

• Assess the amount of time family members

spend in front of screens (for example, TV,

DVDs, and nonschool- or work-related

computer use).

• List three ways the family can limit screen time

to no more than 2 hours per day.

• List three physically active things they can do

instead of screen time.

Lesson Activities

• Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• We Can! Help Children To Reduce Screen Time,

Part 1 (20 minutes)

• Stretch Break (5 minutes)

• We Can! Help Children To Reduce Screen

Time, Part 2 (25 minutes)

Total Time

60 Minutes

Less Sit, More Fit: Decrease Screen

Time and Increase ENERGY OUT
• We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More 

(4 minutes)

• Wrap-Up (1 minute) 

Materials Needed 

Warm-Up 

❑ Markers

❑ Easel and large paper

We Can! Help Children To Reduce Screen Time, Part 1

❑ Screen Time Statistics handout, p. 141

❑ We Can! Help Children To Reduce Screen Time, p. 143

❑ We Can! Reduce Children’s Screen Time Log, p. 145

We Can! Help Children to Reduce Screen Time, Part 2 

❑ Spinning Dial of Ideas template, p. 147

❑ Metal brads, markers, scissors

❑ Easel and large paper

❑ Master list of physical activities from Lesson 4

❑ Less Sit, More Fit Role Play, p. 149

❑ Watch or timer

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 59

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More tracking grid, p. 61 

Facilitator’s Preparation

Warm-Up 

❑ Set up easel, large paper, and markers.

We Can! Help Children To Reduce Screen Time, Part 1

❑ Photocopy handouts (one for each participant).

We Can! Help Children To Reduce Screen Time, Part 2

❑ Photocopy handouts (one for each participant).

❑ Hang large paper.

❑ Post master list of physical activities from Lesson 4.

❑ Create sample of Spinning Dial of Ideas (one for class demonstration).

❑ Purchase supplies needed for activity.

We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More

❑ Photocopy handouts (one for each participant).

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Warm-Up (5 minutes)

1. As participants walk into the room, ASK them to go to the large paper 

in the front of the room and write down the nutrition and physical activity

tip they tried since the last lesson. 

2. As soon as everyone has written down the tips they chose, WELCOME

participants to the lesson.

3. ASK one or two participants to share their experience of trying out the tips.

Was it easy or difficult?

4. CONGRATULATE everyone on working so hard to help their family maintain

a healthy weight.

We Can! Help Children To Reduce Screen Time, 

Part 1 (20 minutes)

1.■■■SAY: Many people are concerned with how much time young people

spend in front of screens—TV, video games, computers. In this lesson,

we’re going to discuss what we mean by “screen time” and why screen

time is an issue for energy balance and weight maintenance.

2. ASK: Why do health experts recommend no more than 2 hours of screen

time a day and at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for children?

If necessary, GUIDE participants to the following responses:

• When people are in front of a screen, they are usually not being

physically active. The more time in front of a screen, the fewer calories

they are burning through activity.

• Studies have shown that people often eat when they are in front of a

screen, and that can be a double challenge for weight maintenance—

lots of ENERGY IN and very little ENERGY OUT.

• People are exposed to food commercials when they watch TV, which can

encourage them to eat. Many of the foods advertised on TV are high in

calories and low in nutrients (SLOW and WHOA foods). Every year, the

average child is exposed to 40,000 television ads: 32 percent are for candy,

31 percent for cereal high in added sugar, and 9 percent for fast foods.

3. DISTRIBUTE the We Can! Help Children to Reduce Screen Time

handout. ASK adults to follow along on the handout. READ the tips 

and start the following discussion. 

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4.■■■SAY: The first tip is to know what we mean by screen time. Then you

can figure out how much screen time and physical activity your family is

getting. Pay attention to how your children are spending their time. Do

they watch TV, play video games, or surf the Internet for hours a day? Then,

determine how much physical activity they’re getting. Do they play actively

with their friends, play sports, or spend time with you being active? Once

you learn how much screen time they spend and how much activity they

get, you will be more aware of their amount of ENERGY OUT. The goal is

for youth to spend no more than 2 hours of screen time a day and get at

least 60 minutes of physical activity each day to help maintain a healthy

weight.

Facilitator’s Note: The following questions are intended to get participants thinking about

the topic of screen time. It’s not supposed to be a lengthy conversation about how much 

TV they watch and what their favorite shows are and how they spend their time.

5. ASK: 

• How much screen time do you think the average American child gets?

• Which type of screen media does the average American kid spend the

most time watching?

• Do you think you get more than 2 hours of screen time a day? Does this

amount increase on weekends?

• Do you know how much screen time your children spend? 

• Are you concerned about how much time your family spends with

screens? 

After briefly discussing these questions, HAND OUT the Youth Screen

Time Statistics handout. ASK participants to look through these

statistics.

Youth Screen Time Statistics*

Every day, on average, 8- to 18-year-olds spend:

• Nearly 4 hours watching TV, videos, DVDs, and prerecorded shows

• Just over 1 hour on the computer

• About 50 minutes playing video games

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Media in the Bedroom

• Two-thirds of young people have a TV in their bedroom; 1/2 have a

video game player and nearly 1/3 have a computer in their bedroom.

• Youth who have TVs in their rooms spend almost 1 1/2 more hours a

day watching TV than youth without a set in their room.

Parental Rules

• About half (53 percent) of all 8- to 18-year-olds say their families have

no rules about TV watching.

• Forty-six percent said they do have rules, but only 20 percent said the

rules are enforced “most” of the time.

• Youth with TV rules that are enforced most of the time report 2 hours

less daily media exposure than in homes without rules enforced.

*Source: Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. Generation M: Media in the Lives of 

8- to 18-Year-Olds, March 2005. www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia030905pkg.cfm

ASK: Were you surprised by these statistics?

6. BRING participants back to the tips in the We Can! Help Children to

Reduce Screen Time handout. Briefly SUMMARIZE each tip. ASK the

following questions after each tip to stimulate discussion.

• TALK TO YOUR FAMILY. Explain to your children that it’s important to sit less

and move more so they can maintain a healthy weight, be more energized,

have a chance to practice certain skill sets (such as riding a bike or

shooting hoops), and socialize with friends and peers. Tell them that 

you also are going to limit your screen time and increase your physical

activity, so you will all be working toward this goal together. 

ASK: 

• Have you tried to talk to your family about reducing screen time?

• If so, what did you say and how did they react?

• SET LIMITS ON SCREEN TIME. Set a house rule that your children may

spend no more than 2 hours a day of screen time (TV, DVD, video

games, nonwork- or school-related computer or Internet use). More

importantly, enforce the rule once it’s made. 

ASK: 

• Have you thought about doing this?

• What things do you think you could try to get your family to commit 

to this?

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• MINIMIZE THE INFLUENCE OF TV IN THE HOME. Do not put a TV or computer

in your child’s bedroom. This tends to physically isolate family members

and decrease interaction. Also, children who have TVs in their room tend

to spend almost 1 1/2 hours more in a typical day watching TV than their

peers without a set in their room.

ASK: 

• How many of your children have TVs in their room?

• Has anyone tried this and how did it work? 

• What things do you think you can do to achieve this?

• MAKE MEAL TIME, FAMILY TIME. Turn off the TV during family meal time.

Better yet, remove the TV from the eating area if you have one there.

Family meals are a good time to talk to each other. Research has shown

that families who eat together tend to eat more nutritious meals than

families who eat separately. Make eating together a priority and

schedule in family meals at least two to three times a week.

ASK: 

• Has anyone thought about doing this?

• If so, what approach did you take and how did it work?

• PROVIDE OTHER OPTIONS/ALTERNATIVES. Watching TV can become a habit

for your child. Provide other alternatives for them to spend their time,

such as playing outside, learning a hobby or sport, or spending time with

family and friends.

ASK: 

• What suggestions or opportunities have you provided and how did it work?

• SET A GOOD EXAMPLE. You need to be a good role model and also limit

your screen time to no more than 2 hours per day. If your kids see you

following your own rules, then they will be more likely to follow. Instead 

of watching TV or surfing the Internet, spend time with your family doing

something fun and active.

ASK:

• What things have you done to be a good role model?

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7.■■■SAY: Please share what else you’ve tried that’s worked for you and is

not listed here. 

8.■■■SAY: As I mentioned before, health experts recommend that everyone

spends no more than 2 hours of screen time a day. One way to find out

how much screen time your family is actually spending is by using a We

Can! Reduce Screen Time Log. 

9. DISTRIBUTE the We Can! Reduce Screen Time Log. 

10.■■■SAY: We’re going to start a We Can! Reduce Screen Time Log in

class, which you will complete at home with your family. The purpose of

the We Can! Reduce Screen Time Log is to help you see how much

time your family is spending in front of the screen. If they’re spending too

much screen time, we’ll talk about ways that you can replace that time

with something more active to increase your ENERGY OUT.

11. EXPLAIN how to fill out the log. Participants will fill out the amount of

time they spend every day on each screen time activity: TV, DVD, video

games, and computer and Internet use that is not related to school or

work.

12.■■SAY: ■For practice, you will fill out a log for your screen time from the

last 3 days. 

13. ASK participants if they have any questions. 

14. EXPLAIN that participants should take home the log and talk to their

families about filling it out. Participants should tell their family that it’s

important to know how much screen time they are spending, so they can

make sure they spend no more than 2 hours a day in order to help them

maintain a healthy weight. Each family member should keep track of

their screen between the lessons. MENTION that they may need to help

younger children fill out the log. ASK them to assess their family’s

screen time use between lessons and set goals accordingly.

15. ASK if anyone has any questions. EXPLAIN that it’s time for a 5-minute

activity break.

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Stretch Break! (5 minutes)

■■■SAY: It’s time to take a stretch break. Today, we’re going to do

something a little different and work on your core muscles. Can anyone tell

me where in your body are your core muscles? (ANSWER: Abdomen, lower

back, bottom and hips—the entire central region of your body) Why are core

muscles important? (ANSWER: They help to align your spine and keep you

straight and strong in the center. Solid core muscles, even though you

usually can’t see them bulge, are some of the most important muscles to

keep strong and healthy.

It’s easy to work on your core muscles anytime, anywhere! First, let’s start by

standing up straight. Tighten your abdomen as if you are pulling your belly

button through to the back. Hold this for 20 seconds. Practice breathing

while your stomach muscles are still tightened. Repeat this five times. Try

this exercise throughout the day while you’re walking, sitting, going up and

down stairs, driving in the car, pushing a shopping cart, anywhere! Can

anyone suggest other places to try this exercise?

Another move you can do is when you’re walking, tighten the muscles in your

lower body, particularly your gluteus (in your bottom), hamstrings (back of

thigh), and quadriceps (front of thigh). Combine this with the tightening of

your abdomen and you are really working your core muscles. Try this for

20–30 seconds walking around the room right now. Terrific if you can tighten

your muscles for up to 1 minute. For added benefit, try this while walking up

and down the stairs. Using the stairs requires more muscles to be used and

will help to firm up everything even more. If you take the stairs over the

elevator or escalator, you also are getting some heart-pumping aerobic

activity that counts towards your 30-minute minimum per day.

Facilitator’s Note: If you have time, go to a staircase in the community center for 

participants to practice doing this once or twice.

For this last exercise, sit up in a chair with your back straight and not resting

on the back of the chair. Tighten your abdominal muscles for this entire

exercise just like we’ve been practicing. Take a deep breath while your

stomach is still tight. Exhale as you lift up your right knee a few inches off

the floor. Inhale as you slowly place it back on the floor. Repeat this on the

left side. Repeat each side 10 times. This exercise strengthens primarily

your abdominal and quadriceps muscles. Try this at home or at work when

you want to take a break.

I hope you enjoyed learning about your core muscles. Now that we’re

energized, let’s start the next activity.

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We Can! Help Children to Reduce Screen Time, 

Part 2 (25 minutes)

1.■■■SAY: We’re going to create a Spinning Dial of Ideas to help remind

you and your family of things you could do at home instead of using screen

media. This will help your family increase ENERGY OUT. 

2. WRITE the following participant responses on a piece of large paper. 

ASK:

• What kind of things does your family like to do together for fun? What do

your children do for fun by themselves or with their friends?

If necessary, GUIDE participants to the following responses:

• Play active games (ball, catch, hopscotch, double-dutch).

• Go for a walk, hike, or bike ride.

• Swim in the lake, ocean, or community pool.

• Visit local sites (museums, zoo, community park, hiking trails, etc.).

• Do yard work/gardening, fix the car, house chores.

• Play inside games, such as charades, or put on some music and dance.

3. THANK participants for their responses. EXPLAIN to them that they’re

going to use those suggestions to create their own Spinning Dial of Ideas.

4. SHOW participants an example of a Spinning Dial of Ideas.

5. PASS OUT the Spinning Dial of Ideas template, one brad, a pair of

scissors, and a marker for each participant. INSTRUCT participants to cut

out the preformed circle and write a fun “active” activity in each section 

of the circle. Be sure to include indoor as well as outdoor activities.

Participants can come up with ideas of their own or use ideas from 

the list they made earlier in Lesson 4. 

6. TELL participants that after they finish writing down their ideas on the dial,

they will need to attach the arrow. DEMONSTRATE each step:

a) Cut out the arrow and the dial. 

b) Use the metal brad to poke a hole through the paper in the middle of

the dial and through the arrow. 

c) Insert the metal brad through the arrow and the paper. Separate the 

two prongs of the brad. Practice spinning to make sure the arrow works.

If the dial isn’t spinning very well, just adjust the brad so that there is

more space between it and the paper dial. 

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7. ENCOURAGE participants to tape the Spinning Dial of Ideas by their TV or

computer to remind their family that there are a lot of activities they could

be doing instead of watching TV. 

8.■■■SAY: The Spinning Dial of Ideas will help you be prepared with

suggestions to help your family reduce their screen time and increase

physical activity. We’re going to do an activity now that will help you with

some of the challenges you might face in carrying out this strategy.

9. DISTRIBUTE the Less Sit, More Fit Role Play activity. ASK participants to

break into groups of three to five people. GIVE each group one of the

following scenarios to work with. 

• My child comes home after school and immediately flips on the TV 

and sits down with a snack.

• The TV in the kitchen is on during dinner and everyone is watching

while they eat.

• After dinner, the children go into their own rooms to play video games. 

• It’s a rainy day and the kids and their friends are watching a DVD; 

one family member is also playing on the computer.

• The kids watch hours of cartoons each Saturday morning.

10. EXPLAIN that each group should take 2 minutes to come up with 

a plan that reduces or eliminates the amount of time the people in their

scenario are watching the screen. 

11. ENCOURAGE participants to draw on their own situations and experiences

to come up with practical and realistic solutions. ASK the groups to

begin, and tell them when their 2 minutes are up. ASK for a volunteer to

present his or her group’s solution. ALLOW all the other groups to

present their solution in turn. After all the groups have presented,

CONGRATULATE them on their creative and helpful solutions. ASK

whether anyone has any comments, questions, or additional suggestions.

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We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More (4 minutes)

1. HAND OUT a new We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More

tracking grid. 

2. ASK participants to pick two new eating well and moving more tips to try

this session and write down their tips on the We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well

and Move More tracking grid to take home. SUGGEST that they choose a

tip that helps them reduce screen time and increase physical activity. ASK

one or two participants to share which tips they plan on trying this session

and how they plan on getting their children to help them with the tip. 

3.■■■SAY: Remember to add your new tips to the master tracking grid you

started in Lesson 1 so you can keep everything in one place. 

4. ENCOURAGE them to continue to try the tips they picked during the last

lesson if they worked. 

Wrap-Up (1 minute) 

1.■■■SAY: Today we discussed the ENERGY OUT part of the energy balance

equation. We focused on how to reduce screen time and replace it with

physical activity. You now have some more tools to take home to your

families to help them maintain a healthy weight. 

2.■■■SAY: The next lesson is the last class. Join us to find out ways to keep

up the good work you’ve been doing these last few lessons to help your

family maintain a healthy weight. The positive changes you’ve made in how

your family eats and moves should be continued for a lifetime. Sometimes,

one can have setbacks. Join us next time to find out how to handle

setbacks and challenges to maintaining a healthy weight and how to

practice healthy weight behaviors for life!

3. THANK participants for participating in this session. ASK whether they

have any questions or comments.

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Youth Screen Time Statistics

Screen Time

• Every day, on average, 8- to 18-year-olds spend:

• Nearly 4 hours watching TV, videos, DVDs, and prerecorded shows

• Just over 1 hour on the computer

• About 50 minutes playing video games

Media in the Bedroom

• Two-thirds of young people have a TV in their bedroom; 1/2 have a video

game player and nearly 1/3 have a computer in their bedroom.

• Youth who have TVs in their rooms spend almost 11/2 more hours a day

watching TV than youth without a set in their room.

Parental Rules

• About half (53 percent) of all 8- to 18-year-olds say their families have 

no rules about TV watching.

• Forty-six percent said they do have rules, but only 20 percent said the rules

are enforced “most” of the time.

• Youth with TV rules that are enforced most of the time report 2 hours less

daily media exposure than in home without rules enforced.

Source: Henry J. Kaiser Foundation. Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8–18-Year Olds, 

March 2005. www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia030905pkg.cfm 

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We Can! Help Children Reduce 

Screen Time

Here are a few simple tips to help your children reduce their screen time and

increase physical activity in order to maintain a healthy weight.

• KNOW HOW MUCH SCREEN MEDIA AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY YOUR FAMILY IS

GETTING. By knowing how much screen media, including TV, DVD, video

games and nonschool- or work-related computer and Internet use, your

family spends and how much physical activity they get, you will be more

aware of how much ENERGY OUT they are burning. The goal is for them to

spend no more than 2 hours of screen time a day and get 60 minute of

moderate-intensity physical activity each day.

• TALK TO YOUR FAMILY. Explain to your children that it’s important to sit less

and move more so they will stay at a healthy weight, be more energized,

have a chance to practice certain skill sets (such as riding a bike or

shooting hoops), and socialize with friends and peers. Tell them that you

also are going to limit your screen time and increase your physical activity,

so you will all be working toward this goal together. 

• SET LIMITS ON SCREEN TIME. Set a house rule that your children may spend

no more than 2 hours a day of screen time (TV, DVD, video games,

nonwork- or school-related computer or Internet use). More importantly,

enforce the rule once it’s made. 

• MINIMIZE THE INFLUENCE OF TV IN THE HOME. Do not put a TV or computer in

your child’s bedroom. This tends to physically isolate family members and

decrease interaction. Also, children who have TVs in their room tend to

spend almost 11/2 hours more in a typical day watching TV than their peers

without a set in their room.

• MAKE MEAL TIME, FAMILY TIME. Turn off the TV during family meal time.

Better yet, remove the TV from the eating area if you have one there.

Family meals are a good time to talk to each other. Research has shown

that families who eat together tend to eat more nutritious meals than

families who eat separately. Make eating together a priority and schedule in

family meals at least two to three times a week.

• PROVIDE OTHER OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES. Watching TV can become a habit

for your child. Provide other alternatives for them to spend their time, such

as playing outside, learning a hobby or sport, or spending time with family

and friends.

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• SET A GOOD EXAMPLE. You need to be a good role model and also limit your

screen time to no more than 2 hours per day. If your kids see you following

your own rules, then they will be more likely to follow. Instead of watching

TV or surfing the Internet, spend time with your family doing something fun

and active.

• DON’T USE TV TO REWARD OR PUNISH A CHILD. Practices like this make TV

seem even more important to children.

• BE A SAVVY MEDIA CONSUMER. Don’t expect your child to ignore the

influences of television advertising of snack foods, candy, soda, and fast

food. Help your child develop healthy eating habits and become media

savvy by teaching them to recognize a sales pitch. Try asking your child why

their favorite cartoon character is trying to get them to eat a certain brand

of breakfast cereal. Explain to them that this is a way for advertisers to

make the cereal more appealing to young people so that they ask their

parents to buy it for them and the company can make money.

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We Can! Reduce Children’s 

Screen Time Log

Complete this log to determine how much time you are spending in front of 

a screen. Help your family do the same. You can print additional logs on the

We Can! Web site at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. Place the log in an easy

location for everyone to use and see, such as near the family television, by the

computer, or on the refrigerator. If screen time for you or your family members

is less than 2 hours a day, pat yourselves on the back! If it’s 2 hours or more,

then check out the Spinning Dial of Ideas to help you reduce your screen

time and switch to some physically active alternatives.

SAMPLE LOG

Name: Billy (age 11) Week of: 6/6/2005

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We Can! Reduce Children’s Screen Time Log

TV Video

Games

DVD Computer/

Internet

Time

(hours)

TV Video

Games

DVD Computer/

Internet

Time

(hours)

Monday 2 hours 1 hour 1 hour 4 hours

Tuesday 3 hours 11/2 hours 1 hour 51/2 hours

Wednesday 11/2 hours 1 hour 21/2 hours 1/2 hour 51/2 hours

Thursday 4 hours 1 hour 5 hours

Friday 4 hours 1 hour 5 hours

Saturday 3 hours 2 hours 2 hours 1 hour 8 hours

Sunday 2 hours 1 hour 2 hours 2 hours 7 hours

TOTAL: 40hrs

Monday 

Tuesday

Wednesday 

Thursday

Friday 

Saturday

Sunday

TOTAL: 

Name: _______________________ Week of: ______/______/________
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TV Video

Games

DVD Computer/

Internet

Time

(hours)

Monday 

Tuesday

Wednesday 

Thursday

Friday 

Saturday

Sunday

TOTAL: 

Name: _______________________ Week of: ______/______/________

TV Video

Games

DVD Computer/

Internet

Time

(hours)

Monday 

Tuesday

Wednesday 

Thursday

Friday 

Saturday

Sunday

TOTAL: 

Name: _______________________ Week of: ______/______/________

TV Video

Games

DVD Computer/

Internet

Time

(hours)

Monday 

Tuesday

Wednesday 

Thursday

Friday 

Saturday

Sunday

TOTAL: 

Name: _______________________ Week of: ______/______/________

TV Video

Games

DVD Computer/

Internet

Time

(hours)

Monday 

Tuesday

Wednesday 

Thursday

Friday 

Saturday

Sunday

TOTAL: 

Name: _______________________ Week of: ______/______/________
Spinning Dial of Ideas

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Appendix A: Programs Lesson 5: Less Sit, More FIt—We Can! Decrease Screen Time and Increase ENERGY OUT
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Less Sit, More Fit Role Play

Each group will be assigned a role play scenario. Please think of a solution 

for the family to reduce their screen time and increase their physical activity.

Scenarios:

1. Child comes home after school and immediately flips on the TV and sits

down with a snack.

2. The TV in the kitchen is on during dinner and everyone is watching while

they eat.

3. After dinner, the children go into their own rooms to play video games. 

4. It’s a rainy day and the kids and their friends are watching a DVD; 

one family member is also playing on the computer.

5. The kids watch hours of cartoons each Saturday morning.

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Lesson 6:

Lesson Overview

Lesson 6 teaches participants how to sustain energy

balance, stay motivated, and handle setbacks in order

to maintain a healthy weight for life. Participants

will be provided with a resource list for more

information on maintaining a healthy weight.

Lastly, they will complete a Tell Us What You

Think Now activity.

Lesson Objectives 

By the end of this lesson, the parents/caregivers

will be able to:

• List three ways to sustain energy balance, handle

setbacks, and stay motivated to maintain a healthy

weight for life.

• Identify three resources to go to for more

information on maintaining a healthy weight.

• Complete and hand in the Tell Us What You

Think Now activity.

Lesson Activities

• Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• We Can! Maintain a Healthy Weight...for Life

(20 minutes)

• Stretch Break (5 minutes)

• Resources (5 minutes)

• Tell Us What You Think Now (15 minutes)

• We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More 

(5 minutes)

• Wrap-Up (5 minutes) 

Total Time

60 Minutes

Maintain a Healthy Weight...

for Life!
Materials Needed

Warm-Up 

❑ Markers

❑ Easel and large paper

We Can! Maintain a Healthy Weight...for Life

❑ We Can! Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight for Life handout, p. 159

Resources

❑ We Can! Healthy Weight Resources, p. 161

❑ Large paper (with list of what they hoped to get out of the class from Lesson 1)

We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More 

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout, p. 59

❑ We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More tracking grid, p. 61

Tell Us What You Think Now Activity (Download from the We Can! Web

site at http://wecan.nhlbi.nib.gov)

❑ Tell Us What You Think Now activity

❑ Pencils or pens and a box to collect the Tell Us What You Think Now forms

Wrap-Up

❑ We Can! Certificate of Completion, p. 163

Facilitator’s Preparation

Warm-Up 

❑ Set up easel, large paper, and markers.

We Can! Maintain a Healthy Weight...for Life

❑ Photocopy handout (one for each participant).

Resources

❑ Photocopy handout (one for each participant).

We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More

❑ Photocopy handout (one for each participant).

Tell Us What You Think Now

❑ Photocopy handout (one for each participant).

Wrap-Up

❑ Prepare a certificate with each participant’s name (one for each participant).

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Warm-Up (5 minutes)

1. As participants walk into the room, ASK them to go to the large paper in

the front of the room and write down the nutrition and physical activity tip

they tried since the last lesson. 

2. As soon as everyone has written down the tips they chose, WELCOME

participants to the last lesson.

3. ASK one or two participants to share their experience of trying out the tips.

Was it easy or difficult?

4. CONGRATULATE everyone on working so hard to help their family maintain

a healthy weight. 

We Can! Help Children to Maintain a Healthy Weight for Life 

(20 minutes)

1. ■■SAY: ■In the last session, we talked about maintaining a healthy weight

by limiting screen time to no more than 2 hours a day and increasing

physical activity to meet the recommendation of 60 minutes of physical

activity each day.

2. ■■SAY: ■Today we’re going to focus on how to help you sustain energy

balance, deal with setbacks, and stay motivated to maintain a healthy

weight. 

3. ■■■SAY: You should be very proud of all that you’ve learned in the last 

six lessons and how your actions will benefit your family’s health in the

long run. Now that you and your family have taken action to balance out

the energy equation, I’m going to give you some tips to help you continue

practicing these healthy behaviors to maintain a healthy weight for life.

4. HAND OUT the We Can! Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight for Life!

handout. ASK participants to follow along as you read each tip aloud.

Facilitator’s Note: The suggested questions below will help you guide a discussion 

with participants to identify ways they can sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity

behaviors and learn new ones to help them maintain a healthy weight. 

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• MAKE A COMMITMENT. You need to make a commitment to yourself and your

family to eat nutritious foods and get regular physical activity. 

ASK:

• Have you made a commitment to maintain energy balance? 

• Has your family?

• What are some of the specific things you’ve committed to doing?

• GET A SUPPORT NETWORK. It helps to have a strong network of family,

friends, and colleagues who will support you in your new lifestyle habits.

Families can serve low-fat meals for gatherings, your friends can limit

drinks with added sugar and TV watching when youth are playing

together, and colleagues can go on short power walks with you and help

you make healthier choices at the cafeteria or vending machine. Let as

many people as possible know what your goals are. Maintaining a

healthy weight is good for everyone!

ASK: 

• Do you have a strong support network to help you achieve your goals?

• What did you do to create that support network?

• Has anyone in your support network joined you in your commitment 

to maintain a healthy weight?

• What can you do to build support into your program?

• SET REALISTIC GOALS. Effective goals are specific, attainable, and forgiving

(it’s okay that you won’t always be able to achieve your goal). “Eat three

servings of fruit a day” is a better goal than “Eat more fruit.”

ASK:

• List one specific and attainable goal that has worked for you?

• Did you find the suggested activities in the We Can! Try Tips to Eat

Well and Move More easy and do-able? 

• TRACK PROGRESS. Tracking your progress can help you feel good about

your success and can show you where you may need to make some

changes if you’re not meeting your goals. Continue to use the tracking

tools provided to you: We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More

tracking sheet, We Can! Fit In Physical Activity planner, and the We

Can! Reduce Screen Time log.

ASK:

• Have you continued to use these tracking tools? 

• Have they been helpful in meeting your goals?

• Do you have any other suggestions for tracking your progress?

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• BE READY. Having ideas and alternatives will help you help your family

stay in energy balance. The We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move

More handout and the Spinning Dial of Ideas can help you to be

prepared. Check the We Can! Web site for more ideas to help you

stay in energy balance.

ASK:

• Have you used the Spinning Dial of Ideas with your family? 

• Did the We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More you’ve been

doing each lesson help you with some ideas?

• Have you been to the We Can! Web site to find more information 

on how to maintain a healthy weight?

• Do you have any other suggestions of where to get ideas?

• LEARN HOW TO HANDLE SETBACKS. Expect to have setbacks. Setbacks

usually happen to those who are overconfident and say, “it won’t happen

to me!” Being committed, setting realistic goals, and being prepared with

alternatives will help you handle setbacks. 

ASK:

• What setbacks has your family experienced and how have you 

handled them?

• REWARD YOURSELF. One way to help your family stay motivated is to

regularly reward them. Choose nonfood-related rewards, such as a day 

at the local lake or beach or a trip to the park to ride bicycles, roller

blade, or fly a kite. You also can buy gifts to help your family stay

physically active, such as new work-out shoes or clothes, a ball, racket,

or other piece of equipment.

ASK:

• How have you rewarded your family’s efforts?

• Did this motivate them to keep making healthy nutrition and physical

activity choices?

■■■SAY: Now we’re going to take a 5-minute stretch break.

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Stretch Break! (5 minutes)

■■■SAY: It’s time to take a stretch break and get your blood pumping and

body moving. We’re going to focus on our backs today. I’m sure we’ve all

experienced a strained back from picking up our children or carrying heavy

grocery bags and other items. Even sitting at a desk for too long can strain

your back. We’re going to do a few stretches to help ease back tension.

First, I want you to stand up straight with your feet together and face forward.

Place your hands at your sides. Take a deep breath. Exhale as you slowly

lean forward and bend at your waist so that your head is down by your

ankles. Be sure to keep your knees straight, but not locked. If you’re more

flexible, put your hands flat on the floor to the side or in front of your feet.

Breathe normally while holding this position for 20 seconds. Be sure not to

bounce. Inhale as you slowly roll your upper body back up each vertebrae at

a time until you’re standing straight again. Repeat stretch one more time.

You may notice that you’re able to go down further this second time. 

This next one you can do either standing up or sitting down anywhere! Stand

up straight. Take a big breath. Exhale as you move you shoulders and

elbows back and stick out your chest so that your shoulder blades are

touching. Count to five and inhale as you come back to a resting position.

Repeat this slowly five more times. 

Okay, our last one is going to stretch your sides. Stand up straight. Feet are

shoulder width apart. Put your arms straight out to your sides. Take a big

breath. Exhale as you twist your entire upper body side to side, while your

lower body is facing forward. Rotate to the right side and then the left side

with each swing. Remember to inhale and exhale every other twist of your

upper body. Repeat this 10 times. Each time you twist to each side, you

should feel a little more of a stretch. 

That should have made you feel a little more loose and limber. These

stretches are good to do anytime you start to feel tight and tired. Now that

we’re energized, let’s move onto our next activity.

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Resources (5 minutes)

■■■SAY: As I mentioned in the beginning of the program, the goal of this

class was to teach you a little about nutrition and physical activity to help you

maintain a healthy weight. I’m going to give you a handout now that provides

a list of resources you can go to for more information. 

1. HAND OUT the We Can! Healthy Weight Resources handout. REVIEW

the resources available to them.

Facilitator’s Note: EXPLAIN that the We Can! Web site, created specifically for parents 

and caregivers of youths ages 8–13, will be particularly helpful to them. This Web site 

contains useful tips and tools for families to maintain a healthy weight. They can find the 

Web site address on the resource list. The We Can! Web site will be continuously updated 

with helpful tips and information. 

2. ASK participants if they have any questions. 

Tell Us What You Think Activity (15 minutes)

1. DISTRIBUTE pens or pencils and the post-curriculum activity. 

2.■■■SAY: Before we end the activity, I’d like you to take 10 minutes to fill

out the Tell Us What You Think activity similar to the one you filled out in

the first lesson. This will help us determine if this course had the right

information to help you and your family.

3. INSTRUCT participants to put the post-curriculum activity in the large folder

or box when completed.

4. REMIND participants when they have 1 minute remaining.

5. ASK participants if they have any questions. 

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We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More...for Life 

(5 minutes)

1. HAND OUT a new We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More handout

and tracking grid. 

2. ENCOURAGE participants to pick a new nutrition and physical activity tip 

to try every week for the rest of their lives. Each week they can write down

their tips on the We Can! Try Tips To Eat Well and Move More tracking

grid. ASK one or two participants to share which tips they plan on trying this

week and how they plan on getting their children to help them with the tip. 

3.■■■SAY: Remember to add your new tips to last lesson’s We Can! Try Tips 

To Eat Well and Move More grid so you can keep everything in one place.

Participants can download more tracking forms on the We Can! Web site 

at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

4. ENCOURAGE them to continue to try the tips they picked in previous

sessions. 

Wrap-Up (5 minutes) 

1. THANK participants for participating in the six-lesson course. 

2. ASK whether they have any questions or comments.

3. PRESENT each participant with a We Can! Certificate of Completion. 

4.■■■SAY: You’re on your way to helping your family maintain a healthy

weight. Maintaining a healthy weight will take work and commitment, 

but the rewards are worth it! Good luck!

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We Can! Help Children Maintain a

Healthy Weight: How to Stay in Energy

Balance for Life

Here are a few simple tips to help your family sustain energy balance, stay

motivated, and handle setbacks in order to maintain a healthy weight for life.

• MAKE A COMMITMENT. You need to make a commitment to yourself and your

family to eat nutritious foods and get regular physical activity. 

• GET A SUPPORT NETWORK. It helps to have a strong network of family,

friends, and colleagues who will support you in your new lifestyle habits.

Families can serve low-fat meals for gatherings, your friends can limit drinks

with added sugar and TV watching when youth are playing together, and

colleagues can go on short power walks with you and help you make

healthier choices at the cafeteria or vending machine. Let as many people

as possible know what your goals are and, hopefully, they will not only

support you, but join you in your efforts. Maintaining a healthy weight is

good for everyone!

• SET REALISTIC GOALS. Effective goals are specific, attainable, and forgiving

(not perfect). “Eat three servings of fruit a day” is a better goal than “Eat

more fruit.”

• TRACK PROGRESS. Tracking your progress can help you feel good about your

success and can show you where you may need to make some changes if

you’re not meeting your goals. Continue to use the tracking tools provided

to you in the We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More tracking sheet,

the We Can! Fit In Physical Activity planner, and the We Can! Reduce

Children’s Screen Time log.

• BE READY. Having ideas and alternatives will help you help your family stay 

in energy balance. The We Can! Try Tips to Eat Well and Move More

handout and the Spinning Dial of Ideas can help you be prepared. Check

the We Can! Web site for more ideas to help you stay in energy balance.

• LEARN HOW TO HANDLE SETBACKS. Expect to have setbacks. Setbacks

usually happen to those who are overconfident and say, “it won’t happen to

me!” Being committed, setting realistic goals, and being prepared with

alternatives will help you handle setbacks.

• REWARD YOURSELF. One way to help you stay motivated is to regularly

reward yourself. Choose nonfood-related rewards, such as a day at the

local lake or beach or go to the park to ride bicycles, roller blade, or fly a

kite. You also can buy yourself a gift to help you stay physically active, such

as new work-out shoes or clothes, a ball, racket, or other piece of equipment.

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We Can! Healthy Weight 

Reference List

If you want other We Can! ways to get your family to eat well and get more

physically active, call 1-866-35-WECAN or visit the We Can! Web site at

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. The Web site is full of information about

maintaining a healthy weight, nutrition, and physical activity. You can also

visit the Web site for recipes, healthy tips, and additional resources.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) http://www.nih.gov

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

• Aim For A Healthy Weight, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/

obesity/lose_wt/index.htm

• Portion Distortion Quiz, http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/

• Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI), http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

• Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/

heart/other/sp_recip.htm

• Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

health/public/heart/other/chdblack/cooking.htm

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),

http://www.niddk.nih.gov

• Weight-Control Information Network, http://win.niddk.nih.gov/

• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD),

http://www.nichd.nih.gov

• Milk Matters, http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/

• National Cancer Institute (NCI), www.nci.nih.gov

• Cancer Control PLANET, http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov/

physical_activity.html

• Eat 5 to 9 A Day, http://5aday.gov/homepage/index_content.html

• Body and Soul, http://5aday.nci.nih.gov/about/print_key_soul.html

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS)

• Steps to a Healthier U.S., http://www.smallstep.gov

• HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, www.healthierus.gov/

dietaryguidelines

• Healthier US.Gov, http://www.healthierus.gov/

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) PROGRAMS

• Eat Smart, Play HardTM, http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhard/

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) www.cdc.gov

• Overweight and Obesity, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/

obesity/index.htm

• Nutrition and Physical Activity, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/

• VERBTM, http://www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign/

• 5 al Día, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5AlDia/index.htm

• Body Mass Index, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/

U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) http://www.fda.gov

• Food Label Education Tools and General Information,

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-gen.html

• Consumer Nutrition and Health Information, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/

~dms/lab-cons.html

• Information about Losing Weight and Maintaining a Healthy Weight,

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-wght.html

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SPORTS http://www.fitness.gov/

• President’s Challenge, http://www.fitness.gov/home_pres_chall.htm

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Energize our Families:

Curriculum for Parents and Caregivers

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to

_______________________________

for successfully completing the six-lesson We Can!

(Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)

Program at the ______________________ Community Center.

By completing the We Can! program, I promise to continue to:

• Increase the availability and accessibility of healthy foods in the home.

• Enjoy small portions at home and at restaurants.

• Limit the availability and accessibility in the home of sweetened beverages,

high-fat foods, and energy-dense foods with low nutrient value.

• Support and enable physical activity.

• Support and enable reduced screen time.

Name:

________________________________________

Date:

_________________
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FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Health Information Center is a service of the NHLBI

of the National institutes of Health. The NHLBI Health Information Center provides information to health

professionals, patients, and the public about the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of heart, lung, and

blood diseases and sleep disorders. For more information, contact:

NHLBI Health Information Center

P.O. Box 30105

Bethesda, MD 20824-0105

Phone: 301-592-8573

TTY: 240-629-3255

Fax: 301-592-8563

Web site: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED: Under provisions of applicable public laws enacted by Congress since

1964, no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, handicap, or

age be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any

program or activity (or, on the basis of sex, with respect to any education program and activity) receiving

Federal assistance. In addition, Executive Order 11141 prohibits discrimination on the basis of age by

contractors and subcontractors in the performance of Federal contracts, and Executive Order 11246

states that no Federally funded contractor may discriminate against any employee or applicant for

employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Therefore, the National Heart, Lung,

and Blood Institute must be operated in compliance with these laws and Executive Orders.

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We Can! Community

Events and Projects

Get your whole community involved

in We Can! by organizing community

events and projects to promote the

message of maintaining a healthy

weight. Families will have a chance

to come together to learn and

practice nutrition and physical activity

behaviors in an enjoyable

atmosphere with others in your

community.

Here are some ideas for We Can!

Community Events and Projects, as

well as tips on how to plan events

for your site. Try these ideas or

others that fit your community’s

needs and resources. Some of the

events are 1-day activities; others are

longer, community-wide projects.

Each of these activities is designed to

support at least one of the We Can!

objectives.

Brainstorming

Here are a few questions to ask

yourself before planning an event

for your community:

• What are the goals of the event?

Start to think about what you

want the community members 

to get out of participating in a

community event. 

• If you want them to get up and

get moving, you can organize a

Fun Run/Walk or Walk Around

the World Contest. 

• If you want to focus on

nutritious foods to eat, organize

a 5-to-9 A Day Challenge or

Community Herb Garden and

Cookbook Project. 

• If you want to focus on these

health topics and more, organize

a Community Health Fair. 

• Choose a sufficient amount 

of a variety of fruits and

vegetables per day.

• Decrease consumption of highfat foods and energy-dense foods

that are low in nutrient value.

• Enjoy small portions at home

and at restaurants.

• Substitute water, fat-free, 

or low-fat milk for sweetened

beverages.

• Engage in at least 60 minutes

of moderate physical activity

on most—preferably all—days

of the week.

• Reduce sedentary activity by

limiting screen time to no more

than 2 hours per day.

We Can! Program Objectives
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This section includes the following

materials and information to help

you kick-start your plans: 

• Descriptions of all 

suggested activities 

• Tools

• Resources and references

Be creative! The possibilities 

are endless. 

• What are my resources? 

First, determine your budget.

Other things to think about are: 

• Potential partners who can

contribute funding, food, 

prizes, or materials

• The type and size of the 

space available

• Rain-date plans if the event 

is outside

• Others in the community who

can participate, including

hospitals and local schools

Planning

• PLANNING TEAM. Gather a team 

of community center staff to head

the planning of the event. Round

out the planning team with several

community residents who are active

members of your center. Consider

including youth as well. Their

perspectives and contacts with

young people in your community

will be an invaluable asset to 

your planning.

• PLANNING TOOLS. Use the We Can!

Community Event and Project

Planning Guide to help you

organize the logistics of the event.

Feel free to create your own tools

to help you stay organized. You

also will find a suggested list of

activities, give-a-ways and prizes. 

• SET A DATE AND TIME. Make sure you

have enough time to plan the event.

The amount of planning time

available will affect the type and

size of event you’re planning. For

example, it may take several months

to plan a Health Fair or Fun Run/

Walk, but only weeks to plan a

Healthy Mural or Photo Contest.

• PARTNERS. Community partners

can be very helpful when planning

a community event. They can

donate money to help purchase

supplies or pay for advertising and

marketing. They also can donate

services—the local hospital can

provide health screenings, area

chefs can do cooking

demonstrations, or the local

grocery store can donate food and

drinks. The number of partners

you will need depends on the type

and size of event that you are

planning. See Chapter 5: We

Can! Partnering for more

information on working with

community partners.
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• PROMOTION. Promotion directly to

community members and to the

media is very important for a

successful event. If the event will

be large, consider partnering with

the local newspaper, television

station, or radio station for free

promotion. See Chapter 4: We

Can! Public Visibility for more

information on promoting We Can!

Doing

Once the event is planned, you’re

not done yet. You still need to carry

it out. Here are some suggested

tips that may help you on the few

days before and during the event:

• Designate a team leader who will

determine roles for each planning

team member and volunteer so

that everyone knows what the

roles and responsibilities are for

each person.

• Create a check list for the planning

team. This will help to ensure

that all tasks are done on time.

• Draft an event agenda for the

committee so they know where

they should be during the event

and what’s going on at all times.

• Designate a point-of-contact

person to handle all tough

questions and inquiries from

participants, media, and volunteers.

The entire planning team should be

knowledgeable enough to handle

basic information. For big or

long-term events, consider setting

up a phone hotline or e-mail

address designated specifically for

questions from participants.

• Arrive extra early to set up. 

This will help if you need time 

to get any additional materials 

or respond to issues.

• Have fun! 

Be sure to visit the We Can! Web

site (http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov)

for examples and highlights of

events that other community centers

are organizing. The Web site will

include case studies from all around

the country and all shapes and sizes

to give you some ideas of how to

organize a successful community

event. Consider submitting your

story to post on the Web site!
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Monitoring and Evaluating

A critically important part of carrying

out community events is knowing

whether they were successful. What

worked and why? What could be

done better the next time? What

lessons learned from one event can

you apply to others? Monitoring and

evaluating your programs doesn’t

have to be complicated or expensive.

Here are some easy ways to help

you answer these monitoring and

evaluation questions:

• KEEP TRACK OF THE PROCESS. 

How many people showed up at

each event and who were they

(men, women, youth, senior

citizens)? How many materials did

you hand out? How many events

did you sponsor in a year? How

did people find out about your

events (newspaper articles, wordof-mouth, community center

flyers)? Which partners did you

enlist to help you with events and

what did these partners contribute?

Use tools like sign-up sheets at

events, inventory lists of materials,

and notes from your planning

team to keep track of the

community event process. This

information will be particularly

useful in making sure that longrunning or often-repeated

community events go smoothly.

• ASSESS SUCCESS. Did community

members enjoy your events? What

did they especially like or find

useful? What suggestions do they

have for improving future events?

If possible and practical, ask

community members to fill out short

evaluation forms after an event.

Ask your planning team members

for their feedback as well. 
We Can! Community Events and

Projects Planning Guide

Event:

Proposed dates(s):

Brief Description:

Task Staff Due Notes

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We Can! Suggested

Community Events 

and Projects

1. FUN FIT RUN/WALK. This event gets

community members active by

either walking or jogging a 5K or

10K loop through the community.

The community also can host a

special 2K fun run for kids. At a

post-run event, members will

receive healthful snacks and

information from local vendors. 

A local personal trainer can offer

stretching and warm-up exercises

and tips both before and after 

the event. 

Consider holding a multiweek

training program before the event

to help participants get ready for

the run/walk.

2. COMMUNITY WALK/HIKE. Depending

on the area resources, community

members can participate in local

trail walks, hikes, or walking tours

of historic sites. 

For trail walks/hikes, community

center staff and local park rangers

help lead walks/hikes in area parks

and hiking trails. Park rangers

can begin the event by discussing

trail safety and appropriate gear

(walking shoes/hiking boots, day

packs, water bottles, sunblock).

Fitness staff at your community

center can lead stretching before

longer hikes. A nutritionist can

discuss healthy snacks or meals 

to fuel up for the walk/hike that

are appropriate to bring along in

your pack.

For historic site walking tours,

local historians and community

center staff can lead participants

on the tour and discuss points 

of interest. 

3. COMMUNITY BIKE TOUR. Your

community center can organize a

bike tour through the community

with the help of local community

partners. The tour is not a race,

but just a safe and easy way for

community members to ride their

bicycles through the area and

enjoy some exercise. Local police

can block off certain roads, provide

escorts, and discuss the importance

of wearing helmets to ensure

riders’ safety. The length of the

tour can vary depending on the

area and partner participation.

At a post-ride event, community

members will receive healthful

snacks and information from 

local vendors.

4. FAMILY HEALTH FAIR. A Family

Health Fair is a way to get

community members to come

together and learn about

nutrition and physical activity and

other healthful tips. Set up as a

series of booths, local partners

such as the heart association,

diabetes association, department

of health, hospitals, restaurants,

and farmer’s market can provide

information and tastings, give-aways, or demonstrations of

healthful habits and activities.

Ask local schools to put on skits

or dances with health messages.
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5. WALK AROUND THE WORLD

CHALLENGE. Community members

can travel around the world or to

the destination of their choice

simply by walking or engaging in

other physical activity. Every 10

minutes spent walking or being

physically active earns them 10

miles toward their “trip.”

Whoever travels the farthest earns

prizes. Families who travel

together can earn extra points.

The “Walk Around the World”

Challenge will have a kick-off

event where community members

will learn about the benefits of

physical activity, safe ways to

stretch, warm-up/cool-down,

appropriate gear, sunblock, and

other tips. For the kick-off and

closing ceremony, plan a theme

party, such as a Hawaiian luau or

African dance party, to celebrate

the exciting destinations that

participants reached with their

“Walk Around the World.” Ask

local travel agencies to help by

providing brochures and posters. 

6. “5-TO-9 A DAY THE COLOR WAY”

CHALLENGE. Community members

participate in the “5-to-9 A Day

the Color Way” Challenge in which

they strive to eat at least five

servings of fruits and vegetables 

a day. Families who participate

together will earn extra bonus

points. Bonus points also are

awarded for eating a wide variety

of fruits and vegetables, particularly

colorful ones. Prizes are awarded

for the individuals and families

with the most points (go to

www.5aday.gov for more

information) The Challenge will

begin with a kick-off event in

which a dietitian or nutritionist

talks about the benefits of fruits

and vegetables and chefs can

demonstrate healthful ways to

prepare dishes with fruits and

vegetables. The Challenge will

culminate with a closing ceremony

where prizes are awarded. Prizes

are donated by local partners. 

Community members contribute

their favorite fruit or vegetable

recipe to a community 5-to-9 A

Day cookbook (see Home Grown:

Recipes for a Community 

Health Book).

7. FIT AND HEALTHY PHOTO CONTEST.

Community members are asked

to contribute pictures for a

Healthy Photo Contest. The

photos must include an image of

one or more people engaged in

some action that involves

nutrition or physical activity.

Pictures must involve children

between the ages of 

8–13 years. Contest winners will

receive prizes donated by

community partners, such as gift

certificates for a smoothie shop,

healthy foods, cookbooks, 

or pedometers.

With permission, pictures may 

be used to create a community

calendar, greeting cards, decoration

at the community center, or used

for promotional and marketing

materials, such as brochures 

or posters.
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8. HEALTHY COMMUNITY MURAL.

Community center youth, with

the help of adults, can design and

paint a mural somewhere in the

community that has to do with

one or more of the We Can!

goals of improving nutrition,

increasing physical activity, and

reducing screen time.

9. COMMUNITY “TV TURN-OFF” WEEK.

The community participates in 

a “TV Turn-Off” Week, in which

community members pledge to

spend no more than 2 hours of

screen time a day (including TV,

DVD, video games, and computer

and Internet use not related to

school or work). The community

can kick-off “TV Turn-Off” Week

with a ceremony and organize

other events during the week

(see: Family Health Fair) to get

people away from the TV. End

“TV-Turn Off” Week with a party to

celebrate the community’s efforts. 

10. COMMUNITY HERB AND VEGETABLE

GARDEN. Community members

start an herb and vegetable

garden on a plot of land at the

community center or elsewhere

in the community. They learn

about the health benefits of

vegetables as well as how to grow

and prepare vegetables and herbs.

Participants can take home what

they grow along with recipes 

on how to use the herbs and

vegetables. Favorite recipes can

be collected for a community

cookbook (see Home Grown:

Recipes for a Community

Healthy Cookbook).

11. HOME GROWN: RECIPES FOR A

COMMUNITY HEALTHY COOKBOOK.

Community members donate

their favorite recipes to create 

a community center cookbook.

Before recipes are included in

the cookbook, a dietitian or

nutritionist reviews them to

make sure they are nutritious,

low in fat (particularly saturated

fat and trans fat) or contain

more healthful unsaturated fats,

low in added sugar, and low or

moderate in calories. If recipes

are modified by the dietitian to

meet these criteria, both the

original version and the new

version could be published to

show how recipes can be modified.

The cookbook can be featured at

other community events such as

the Family Health Fair.

12. HEALTH-O-WEEN PARTY. The

community center can host 

a Health-O-Ween party for its

members at Halloween time.

Traditional games, such as apple

bobbing, can take place and

healthy treats will be served

rather than candy and sweets. 

Younger children can participate

in a costume parade and

contest. Older youth can have a

Halloween Monster dance.
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13. WALKING SCHOOL BUS. 

The Walking School Bus has

become increasingly popular 

in the last few years. A walking

school bus provides children

with a safe and healthy mode 

of transportation to school. 

A designated adult supervisor

“picks up” each student, house

by house, on foot. The group of

students walks to school together

along a set route, all the while

enjoying fresh air, exercise, and

friendly conversation. A different

adult “drives” the bus each day.

14. MOVIE SCREENING AND GROUP

DISCUSSION. Organize a special

screening of a movie with a

weight or physical activity theme

(such as the 2004 documentary

movie, “Super Size Me”) and

hold a discussion afterwards. 

Super Size Me takes a look at 

the legal, financial, and physical

costs of America’s hunger for fast

food. Is America obese because

it lacks self-control or are the

fast-food corporations to blame?

The producer, Morgan Spurlock,

shares his experience eating

nothing but McDonald’s for an

entire month. 

Following the movie, a dietitian

or nutritionist can discuss nutrition

and a doctor can talk about the

health impact of weight gain. 

A personal trainer can lead the

group in stretching and aerobic

activity during breaks or after

the screening.
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We Can! Community Events Suggested 

Healthy Prizes and Give-Aways

Ask partners to donate prizes and give-aways as incentives for your

community members. The following are some suggestions. Please use

resources that are available to your community center and area. 

Be creative!

Pedometers Passes to bowling, ice skating, 

roller skating, pool, rock climbing wall

Water bottles Passes to entertainment park

T-shirts YOUR IDEAS HERE....

Hand towels

Hats/Visors

Key chains

Magnets

Shoe laces

Fanny packs

Coupons to healthy restaurants, food stores

Jump rope

Hand weights

Stability ball

Stretch bands

Socks with We Can! logo

Sporting equipment (balls, bats, gloves, cleats,

helmet, etc.)

Gift certificate to sporting goods store

Entertainment vouchers to sporting events

Cookbooks

Books

Passes to area gyms
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Table of Contents

We Can! Media Messages .................................................... 181

Sample Print PSA (English and Spanish).............................. 185

Live Read Script (English) .................................................... 186

Live Read Script (Spanish).................................................... 187

We Can! Backgrounder........................................................ 189

Prototype Plan ...................................................................... 193

Timeline and Checklist ........................................................ 195

Timeline and Checklist for Special Events .......................... 197

Encouraging the Media to Cover Your Event ...................... 201

Sample Media Advisory ........................................................ 203

Sample Press Release ............................................................ 205

Sample Proclamation ............................................................ 207

Consent and Waiver Form .................................................... 209

Parent Consent Letters.......................................................... 211
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We Can! Media

Messages

The following are media messages

for use in conjunction with local

launches of the We Can! program.

The three overarching key media

messages below provide basic

information on this new program,

including what We Can! stands for

(acronym), who is behind the program

(NIH), why the program is needed,

and what the program aims to

achieve (at the broadest levels). 

Each key media message has multiple

submessages, or supporting points,

outlined in this document, which

provide more specific information

related to program messages for

parents and youth, desired behaviors,

community-based programs, etc. 

These messages can be used to inform

both internal and external audiences

via presentations, media materials

(e.g., pitch letters, press releases,

talking points), Web site content,

and letters to potential partners.

1. Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition, or 

We Can!, is a national public

education program from the

National Institutes of Health

(NIH) to help prevent overweight

and obesity among youth 

ages 8–13.

2. We Can! reaches parents 

and caregivers in home and

community settings with

educational materials and

activities to encourage healthy

eating, increase physical

activity, and reduce sedentary

time. The program outlines

five specific desirable

behaviors for parents and six

for youth.

3. We Can! is based on an 

in-depth review of the leading

science-based literature 

on obesity prevention, an

environmental scan of relevant

materials from Federal and nonFederal agency programs, and

the demonstrated capacity of

community-based settings. 

4. For more information, visit

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

Key Media Messages
1. Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition!, or We Can!,

is a national public education

program from the National

Institutes of Health (NIH) to help

prevent overweight and obesity

among youth ages 8–13.

• Nearly 9 million U.S. children

and teens ages 6–19 (16 percent)

are overweight. In addition,

another 15 percent are

considered at risk of becoming

overweight. (Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention.

National Center for Health

Statistics. Prevalence of

Overweight Among Children

and Adolescents: United States,

1999–2002. Atlanta: CDC; 2005.

(Available at: ww.cdc.gov/

nchs/products/pubs/pubd/

hestats/overwght99.htm.)

• In just three decades, overweight

has more than doubled among

children ages 2–5 years and

adolescents ages 12–19 years,

and more than tripled among

youth ages 6–11 years. (Ogden

CL et al. Prevalence and Trends

in Overweight Among US

Children and Adolescents,

1999–2000. Journal of the

American Medical Association.

2002;288(14):1728–1732.)

• Overweight children are 

more likely to become

overweight adults. 

• Overweight children are at 

an increased risk for chronic

illness such as heart disease,

diabetes, asthma, and high

blood pressure. The growth in

overweight has contributed to a

dramatic increase of type 2

diabetes in children. Though

once considered rare in

adolescents, type 2 diabetes

now accounts for 8 to 45

percent of newly diagnosed

diabetes cases in children and

adolescents. (Fagot-Campagna

A et al. Type 2 Diabetes

Among North American

Children and Adolescents: An

Epidemiologic Review and a

Public Health Perspective.

Journal of Pediatrics.

2000;136(5):664–672.)

• We Can! is a collaboration

among four Institutes 

of the National Institutes of

Health, namely the National

Heart, Lung, and Blood

Institute (NHLBI); National

Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

(NIDDK); National Institute of

Child Health and Human

Development (NICHD); and

National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

• We Can! complements the 2005

recommendations from the

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

issued by the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services

and the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, as well as other

Federal initiatives targeted to

children to reduce the burden

of preventable disease. 

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2. We Can! reaches parents and

caregivers in home and community

settings with educational materials

and activities to encourage

healthy eating, increase physical

activity, and reduce sedentary

time. The program outlines five

specific desirable behaviors for

parents and six for youth.

• For parents and primary

caregivers, We Can! encourages

the following behaviors: 

• Increase the availability and

accessibility of healthy foods

in the home.

• Enjoy small portions at home

and at restaurants.

• Limit the availability and

accessibility in the home of

sweetened beverages, high-fat

foods, and energy-dense foods

that are low in nutrients.

• Support and enable family

physical activity.

• Support and enable reduced

screen time.

• For youth, We Can! specifically

aims to enable the following

behaviors:

• Choose a sufficient amount of

a variety of fruits and

vegetables per day.

• Enjoy small portions at home

and at restaurants.

• Decrease consumption of

high-fat foods and energydense foods that are low 

in nutrient value.

• Substitute water, fat-free milk,

or low-fat milk for sweetened

beverages.

• Engage in at least 60 minutes

of moderate physical activity

on most, preferably all, days

of the week.

• Reduce sedentary activity 

by limiting screen time to no

more than 2 hours per day.

• We Can! provides parents,

caregivers, communities, and

health care providers with

numerous resources: 

• A consumer Web site,

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov,

providing parents, caregivers,

communities, national

partners, and media with upto-date health information tips

on maintaining a healthy

weight for families. The Web

site will be updated continually

and refreshed with new tips

for parents, updated materials

from NIH, and information

about community events

conducted by the We Can!

Intensive Community Sites.

• A parent handbook titled

Families Finding the Balance

with helpful tips on maintaining

a healthy weight. 

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Also available in Spanish and

downloadable from the We

Can! Web site.

• The We Can! Energize Our

Community Toolkit for Action,

a community “how-to” guide

on planning and implementing

community events, developing

local partnerships, and media

visibility for the program.

• Parents/caregivers and their

children can participate in classes

and activities being organized 

at community sites around 

the country: 

• We Can! has engaged

community sites around the

country, including [INSERT

YOUR ORGANIZATION’S

NAME] in [INSERT YOUR

CITY/REGION], to take an

active role in creating healthier

hometown environments that

promote a healthy weight. 

• As a We Can! site, [INSERT

YOUR ORGANIZATION’S NAME]

has agreed to implement parent

programs, youth programs, and

community events. Each parent

and youth program will consist

of a minimum of 15 participants. 

• Any community organization 

can adapt the program materials

from the We Can! Web site for

its use. The reach of We Can!

is limitless.

• We Can! is joining forces with

other national organizations,

including health professional

associations, corporations and 

the media to provide parents/

caregivers with the most up-todate information on prevention 

of overweight in children.

• We Can! is designed to be a 

one-stop resource that parents

and caregivers, as well as their

health care providers, can use to

find information to help children

maintain a healthy weight.

• We Can! materials, activities, 

and details of specific community

programs are available at the

program Web site,

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. 

3. We Can! is based on an in-depth

review of the leading sciencebased literature on obesity

prevention, an environmental

scan of relevant materials 

from Federal and non-Federal

agency programs, and the

demonstrated capacity of

community-based settings. 

4. For more information, visit

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call

1-866-35-WECAN.

5. For the Healthy Weight

Community Outreach Initiative

Strategy Development Report,

visit www.nhlb.nih.gov/health/

prof/heart/obesity/hwcoi

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Sample Print PSAs
NHLBI We Can! Live Read Script (English)

:10

LIVE: Help your kids stay at a healthy weight. We Can! do it together.

For a free handbook from the National Institutes of Health, call 

1-866-35-WECAN. 

:20

LIVE: Who can help your kids to a healthier future? Together, We Can! 

“We Can!” stands for Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition.

For a free handbook with tips on eating well, moving more, and decreasing

screen time, call 1-866-35-WECAN. 

ALTERNATIVES:

Who can help your kids to a healthier future? Together, We Can! 

“We Can!” stands for Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition.

For a free handbook from the National Institutes of Health, call 

1-866-35-WECAN. 

Worried about your child’s weight? Together, We Can! helps them avoid

becoming overweight. “We Can!” stands for Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition.

Get tips on eating well, moving more, and decreasing screen time from the

National Institutes of Health. Call 1-866-35-WECAN. 

Parents, prevent your child from becoming overweight and give them a

healthier future. We Can! help! “We Can!” stands for Ways to Enhance

Children’s Activity & Nutrition.

For a free handbook with tips on eating well, moving more, and decreasing

screen time, call 1-866-35-WECAN. 

:30

LIVE: Parents, who can help your kids to a healthier future? We Can!

“We Can!” stands for Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition.

It’s a new program from the National Institutes of Health that offers

families tips about eating well, moving more, and decreasing screen time.

For free tips and tools, visit wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. That’s w-e-c-a-n [dot] 

n-h-l-b-i [dot] n-i-h [dot] g-o-v. Or call 1-866-35-WECAN.

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¡Podemos! de NHLBI Guión en vivo 

(en español)

:10

EN VIVO: Ayude a sus niños a mantenerse en un peso saludable.

¡Podemos! hacerlo juntos. Para obtener un manual gratuito de los

Institutos Nacionales de la Salud, llame al 1-866-359-3226.

:20

EN VIVO: ¿Quién puede ayudar a sus niños a tener un futuro más

saludable? Juntos ¡Podemos!

“¡Podemos!” viene del inglés We Can! o “Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition” (Sugerencias para Mejorar la Actividad y Nutrición

de los Niños).

Para obtener un manual gratuito con consejos sobre cómo tener una

alimentación saludable, mayor actividad y pasar menos tiempo enfrente de

la pantalla, llame al 1-866-359-3226.

ALTERNATIVAS:

¿Quién puede ayudar a sus niños a tener un futuro más saludable? Juntos

¡Podemos!

“¡Podemos!” viene del inglés We Can! o “Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition” (Sugerencias para Mejorar la Actividad y Nutrición de

los Niños). Llame al 1-866-359-3226. 

¿Le preocupa el peso de su niño? Juntos ¡Podemos! ayudarlos a evitar el

sobrepeso. “¡Podemos!” viene del inglés We Can! o “Ways to Enhance

Children’s Activity & Nutrition” (Sugerencias para Mejorar la Actividad y

Nutrición de los Niños).

Obtenga consejos de los Institutos Nacionales de la Salud sobre cómo

tener una alimentación saludable, mayor actividad y pasar menos tiempo

enfrente de la pantalla . Llame al 1-866-359-3226. 

Padres de familia, eviten que su hijo tenga sobrepeso y déle un futuro más

saludable. ¡Podemos! ayudarles. “¡Podemos!” viene del inglés We Can! o

“Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition” (Formas de Mejorar la

Actividad y Nutrición de los Niños).
Para obtener un manual gratuito con consejos sobre cómo tener una

alimentación saludable, mayor actividad y pasar menos tiempo enfrente

de la pantalla , llame al 1-866-359-3226.

:30

EN VIVO: Padres, ¿quién puede ayudar a sus niños a tener un futuro más

saludable? ¡Podemos!

“¡Podemos!” viene del inglés We Can! o “Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition” (Sugerencias para Mejorar la Actividad y Nutrición

de los Niños).

Es un nuevo programa de los Institutos Nacionales de la Salud que les

ofrece a las familias consejos sobre cómo tener una alimentación saludable,

mayor actividad y pasar menos tiempo enfrente de la pantalla. Para obtener

consejos y herramientas gratis, visite http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov, w-e-c-a-n

[punto] n-h-l-b-i [punto] n-i-h [punto] g-o-v. O llame al 1-866-359-3226.

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We Can! Backgrounder

The United States is facing a potentially

devastating public health crisis of

overweight and obesity. Nearly onethird of all adults are now classified

as obese, a figure that has more

than doubled over the past 30 years.

Perhaps even more alarming is the

staggering effect the epidemic has

had on children. In just 30 years,

obesity has more than doubled among

children ages 2–5 and adolescents

ages 12–19, and more than tripled

among youth ages 6–11. This

phenomenon has contributed directly

to outcomes such as the dramatic

rise in the incidence of type 2 diabetes

in children—an illness that, once

considered rare in adolescents, is

now estimated to account for 8 to 45

percent of newly diagnosed diabetes

cases in children and adolescents.

To address this increase in overweight

and obesity in children, the National

Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National

Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

(NHLBI), in collaboration with the

National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

(NIDDK), National Institute of Child

Health and Human Development

(NICHD), and National Cancer

Institute (NCI), have come together

to promote We Can! (Ways to

Enhance Children’s Activity &

Nutrition)—a national public

education outreach program on

maintaining a healthy weight.

Intended to extend the success of

Hearts N’ Parks, NHLBI’s 3-year

collaboration with the National

Recreation and Park Association, 

We Can! will provide activities and

programs that encourage improved

nutritional choices, increased physical

activity, and reduced screen time in

youth ages 8–13.

We Can! is unique among existing

youth obesity-prevention initiatives in

its focus on programs and activities

for parents and families as a primary

group for influencing youth audiences.

We Can! will be implemented

through the following strategies:

• COMMUNITY OUTREACH. We Can!

will collaborate with 13 Intensive

Community Sites around the

country to take an active role in

creating healthier hometown

environments that promote a healthy

weight. Sites participated in an

orientation training and will be

provided with materials and

resources to implement and

evaluate We Can! Sites also will

receive technical assistance to

support local partnership and

media outreach. An unlimited

number of General Community

Sites will receive online access to

all materials, including the program

poster, its parent brochure in both

Spanish and English, local press

releases, and other useful We Can!

tools. These sites will extend the

reach of We Can! messages

throughout the country.

• NATIONAL MEDIA AND MESSAGES.

National promotion will target key

constituencies with messages that

announce We Can! and motivate
190

youth and their parents or primary

caregivers to take individual and

community action to maintain a

healthy weight. Messages will

engage the public in recognizing

both individual and environmental

factors that influence persons’

attempts to achieve and maintain 

a healthy weight and ultimately

reduce their risk of heart disease

and other serious conditions.

Toward these ends, We Can! will

offer English and Spanish materials,

such as radio and print public

service advertisements, a parent

handbook, and a consumer Web site.

• PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

Providing an umbrella theme,

materials, and support, We Can!

will strategically engage a select

group of national organizations

(including health professional

associations as well as corporate,

media, and Federal partners) that

have an infrastructure to reach target

populations. The program will

seek to enable partner organizations

to tailor their programs and

promotions to include We Can!

materials, messages, and activities.

We Can! will encourage youth to

• Choose a sufficient amount of 

a variety of fruits and vegetables

per day.

• Decrease consumption of high-fat

foods and energy-dense foods

with low nutrient value.

• Enjoy small portions at home and

at restaurants.

• Substitute water, fat-free milk, 

or low-fat milk for sweetened

beverages.

• Engage in at least 60 minutes of

moderate physical activity on most—

preferably all—days of the week.

• Reduce sedentary activity by

limiting screen time to no more

than 2 hours per day.

To support youth in this program,

We Can! will encourage parents

and primary caregivers to

• Increase the availability and

accessibility of healthy foods 

in the home.

• Limit the availability and

accessibility in the home of

sweetened beverages, high-fat

foods, and energy-dense foods

with low nutrient value.

• Enjoy small portions at home 

and at restaurants.

• Support and enable family

physical activity.

• Support and enable reduced

screen time.
We Can! was designed based on 

a strategy development workshop,

convened in February 2004, with

leading researchers, public health

experts, nutritionists and dietitians,

youth marketing experts, and

community center representatives

from around the country; a review

of the science-based literature on

obesity prevention; an environmental

scan to review other agency work

on overweight and obesity; and an

assessment of Hearts N’ Parks.

We Can! launched in spring 2005.

The initiative will build on the solid

foundation established by Hearts N’

Parks and will complement other

community-based efforts under way

by the U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services to reduce the

burden of preventable disease. For further information, 

please contact:

Karen A. Donato, S.M., R.D.

Coordinator, NHLBI Obesity

Education Initiative

301-496-1051

donatok@nih.gov

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov

1-866-35-WECAN

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Appendix B: Public Visibility
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Prototype Plan for Launching Your Program

SITUATION: Healthy County Department of Parks and Recreation is taking

steps to become a We Can! community. Staff members are developing a

plan to launch this initiative. 

Goals

1. To announce the launch of We Can! in Healthy County.

2. To inform community members about upcoming We Can! activities. 

3. To inform local policymakers about participation in We Can!

4. To encourage partnerships with other community organizations 

and potential sponsors.

5. To increase the number of children participating in recreational programs.

Target Audiences

1. Local newspapers, radio and TV stations, corporations, and

organizations that have appropriate communication vehicles

2. Local media, clubs and other organized groups, community 

calendar editors

3. Local policymakers

4. Community organizations and businesses

5. Schools, daycare centers, summer camp programs, parenting groups,

and businesses that are geared toward children in the community.

Media that reach these groups.

Key Messages

1. Healthy County is becoming a We Can! community.

2. Planned activities as part of Healthy County’s We Can! initiative will

include [LIST].

3. We Can! is an innovative, nationwide initiative that aims to reduce the

growing trend of overweight among youth ages 8–13 in the United

States, by educating and encouraging parents and caregivers to create

healthy home environments. 
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4. By becoming a We Can! partner, local organizations and businesses can

demonstrate their commitment to the well-being of citizens of Healthy

County, share resources for implementing worthwhile programs, and

gain exposure for their own programs and services.

5. The sooner we can teach our children how to prevent overweight, the

faster we can reduce their risk.

Special Event

1. Hold a special event to launch We Can!. The event should include a

news conference featuring prominent community leaders and

policymakers, including someone representative of the community;

activities for children; exhibits or screenings by local organizations and

businesses; and sponsorship opportunities (such as paying for T-shirts).

2. To maximize coverage by the media, request an official proclamation by

policymakers and hold the event during March (National Nutrition

Month) or on a relevant “health holiday.” Access the 2005 National

Health Observances calendar at www.healthfinder.gov/

library/nho/nho.asp?year=2005.

3. Invite local hospitals, daycare centers, pharmacies, and radio or 

TV stations to join a task force and/or participate in the event.
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Timeline and Checklist

6–8 weeks before the event

❑ Request permit and reserve park area by town square. Weather contingency

plan to include ordering canopy for space. Work with adjacent city offices

to identify available space for individual interviews with the media, if

needed.

❑ Invite speakers.

❑ Request proclamation from local government officials.

❑ Order brochures on heart disease, and other serious diseases,

information on risk factors, banners, and T-shirts.

4–6 weeks before the event

❑ Prepare and send calendar announcement. 

❑ Assign responsibilities to staff and volunteers. Hire photographer,

contractor to provide staging area, sound system, etc. 

❑ Invite guests, including policymakers, county agencies, wellness

directors at area health care facilities, prominent business people,

leaders in the community, etc. 

2–4 weeks before the event

❑ Prepare the following media tools: media advisory, news release,

backgrounders on the Healthy County We Can! program, speakers list

for news conference. Copy backgrounders included in We Can!

Energize Our Community: Toolkit for Action.

❑ Discuss media list with county communications office, and review and

update for special event. Target local media that reach community at

large, policymakers (newsletters, etc.), parents and caregivers of

children, local businesses.

1 to 2 weeks before the event

❑ Send media advisory.

❑ Update Web site.

❑ Send event schedule, list of responsibilities, and directions to the site to

staff and volunteers. Provide copies of all materials to county

communications staff, administrative staff, and others who might receive

inquiries about the event.

❑ Gather biographic information from speakers for media and for the

moderator’s introductions. Provide information to help speakers with

their remarks.

❑ Supplies you’ll need onsite: pens, sign-in sheets (for media), business

cards, brochures on Healthy County Parks and Recreation programs and

other programs.
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1 week before the event

❑ Confirm space, volunteers and equipment. 

❑ Distribute letter and consent form to parents of children 

who will be participating through their regular programs. 

❑ Call key media to encourage them to attend. 

❑ Collate media kits.

1 or 2 days before the event

❑ Resend media advisory to entire media list.

❑ Keep calling media targets.

❑ Gather and pack supplies.

❑ Arrange for designated staff person to field calls on the day of the event;

update outgoing voice mail message.

At the event

❑ Greet media; have them sign in. Give every attending media person 

a press kit to take back to his or her office. Introduce media

representatives to your spokespersons for interviews.

After the event

❑ Follow up on special requests made during the event by the media 

or speakers.

❑ Send press kits to reporters who expressed interest but did not attend.

❑ Check for coverage in newspapers, on TV and radio, and on the Internet. 

❑ Obtain contact sheets or prints from the photographer and order photos

for internal publications, as well as to send to partners or sponsors,

speakers, special guests, etc.

❑ Write article about the event for your organization, and encourage

partners and sponsors to do the same.

❑ Send thank-you notes to reporters who attended. 

❑ Send letter to editor of your daily newspaper to publicly thank your

volunteers for making the event a success and ask editor to consider 

it for publication.

❑ Send thank-you notes to sponsors, partners, and volunteers directly.

❑ Prepare evaluation of the event.
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Checklist and Timeline for Special Events

As soon as possible

❑ Identify your goals, target audience(s), and key messages. 

❑ Develop an agenda for the event, identify potential speakers, and

prepare a budget and timeline to include promotion of the event 

and logistics (e.g., renting space or equipment).

❑ Identify and contact potential partners and cosponsors. 

❑ Assemble a task force or committee for building your event.

6–8 weeks before the event

❑ Reserve space. If your event is likely to draw media, be sure to identify a

quiet space for individual interviews.

❑ Invite speakers.

❑ Request proclamation from local government officials.

❑ Order educational materials, signs or banners, awards, and T-shirts or

other giveaway items you will need.

4–6 weeks before the event

❑ Identify community calendar contacts and their deadlines, and distribute

your media advisory or calendar announcement.

❑ Recruit event volunteers, staff, and contractors (such as audiovisual techs

if needed, photographer, caterer, etc.), and assign specific responsibilities. 

❑ Arrange for equipment (if not provided by the site). Equipment might

include, for example, tables (with draping) for health screenings or

exhibits, easels for signs, a podium, a stage or “riser,” microphone(s) and

a sound system. For a news conference or event with a celebrity, you

might also need a “mult box”, a device that allows broadcast media to

record directly from the sound system.

❑ Create guest list and invite guests.

2–4 weeks before the event

❑ Determine what media tools you will need and prepare them. These

materials include, for example, media advisory, news release,

backgrounders or fact sheets, agenda, etc.

❑ Update or develop your media list (see “Working with the Media” 

in Chapter 3: Public Visibility).
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1–2 weeks before the event

❑ Send media advisory.

❑ Update your Web site.

❑ Send event schedule, list of responsibilities, and directions to the site to staff

and volunteers. Provide copies of all materials to anyone who will be

responding to inquiries before, during, or after the event.

❑ Assist speakers with their remarks; be sure to gather brief biographic

information for the moderator to use to introduce speakers.

❑ Check on the status of the materials you’ve ordered, and make a checklist of

supplies you’ll need onsite. Examples: pens, sign-in sheets, business

cards, brochures or other information about your program or department.

1 week before the event

❑ Confirm space, volunteers, and equipment. 

❑ If you will be photographing, videotaping, or otherwise recording the

event, then distribute consent forms. If children will be participating,

signatures from their parents or guardians will be needed. (Note: No

consent forms are required for news coverage.)

❑ Make followup calls to key media to confirm their receipt of the advisory

and to encourage them to attend. 

❑ Collate media kits.

1 or 2 days before the event

❑ Resend the advisory to your entire list.

❑ Keep calling your media targets.

❑ Gather and pack supplies.

❑ Make any necessary arrangements for responding to calls while you are

at the event. Brief office staff, update your outgoing voice mail message,

distribute your cell phone number and/or inform office staff as to

whether you will be calling in to check messages.

At the event

❑ Greet media when they arrive. Ask them to sign in so you can track who

attended.

❑ Give every media person who attends a press kit to take back to his or

her office. It will help the media person to round out the story.

❑ Introduce media representatives to your spokespersons for interviews.
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After the event

❑ Follow up on any special requests made during the event by the media,

speakers, etc.; for example, reporters might ask for a bio or “head shot”

photo of a specific speaker, or they might have asked for data or other

information that was not readily accessible. (To expedite your response,

call your office and have someone else process the request while the event

is still happening.)

❑ Send press kits to reporters who expressed interest but did not attend,

because it might still result in coverage or they might come to your next event.

❑ Check for coverage in newspapers, on TV and radio, and on the Internet. 

❑ Obtain contact sheets or prints from the photographer and order photos

for your internal publications and to send to partners or sponsors,

speakers, special guests, etc.

❑ Write article about the event for your organization, and encourage

partners and sponsors to do the same.

❑ Send thank-you notes to the reporters who attended. Tell them that you

enjoyed working with them and that you hope to continue to serve as a

resource for their reporting.

❑ Send letter to editor of your daily newspaper to publicly thank your

volunteers for making the event a success and ask editor to consider it

for publication.

❑ And, of course, thank your sponsors, partners, and volunteers directly.

Congratulations on a job well done. Now on to the next event...
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Encouraging the Media

to Cover Your Event

In many cases, sending a news

advisory is not enough to get a

reporter to attend your event.

Following up with key media

beforehand might mean the

difference between coverage 

and no publicity. 

Here are tips on encouraging the

media to participate:

1. Prioritize your calls; review your

media list and identify the

reporters who are most important

to you. Call them first.

2. Try to speak directly to a reporter.

Don't be shy. Keep calling, even

if you leave a voice mail message.

3. Be prepared to resend the news

advisory to individuals several

times; they will likely say they

didn’t receive the information,

even if they did.

4. If you are asking staff or

volunteers to assist in follow-up

calls, prepare a script and a list of

possible questions and answers. 

To reporters who say...

YES. Work with them to arrange an

interview with your spokesperson.

Ask if there’s anything special they

might need from you; for example,

a camera crew might need access to

an electrical source or a “mult box”

that will provide them with sound

directly from any microphones you

might be using. Record them on a

log of expected media attendance

with notes on when they will be

there, whom they are sending, and

whether they will want interviews or

other special assistance. 

MAYBE. Put them on your callback

list and call again in the final days

before the event to encourage them

to attend. You might want to add a

section to your media log for

possible attendees.

NO. Ask if they can suggest someone

else on the staff who might be

interested in the story. Tell them

you’d like to send them a press kit

after the event, in case they become

interested in the program or topic. 
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Sample Media Advisory for We Can!

Launch at Local Site

[Note: Advisory should never be longer than one page.]

[YOUR ORGANIZATION’S LOGO HERE] [WE CAN! LOGO HERE]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: [NAME], [ORGANIZATION]

[DATE] [PHONE], [E-MAIL]

MEDIA ADVISORY

Message to Parents: ‘We Can!’ Prevent Childhood Obesity

[COMMUNITY SITE] Offers New National Institutes of Health Program

to Families in [REGION] to Address Growing Epidemic

WHAT: (COMMUNITY SITE) is launching Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition! (We Can!), a national education program

from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prevent obesity

among youth ages 8–13. We Can! reaches parents and caregivers

with educational materials and community programs to encourage

healthy eating, increase physical activity and reduce sedentary

time. 

[INSERT SPECIFICS OF LOCAL LAUNCH EVENT]

WHO: [LIST ALL WHO WILL BE AT EVENT FOR PHOTOS, INTERVIEWS]

• Director of [ORGANIZATION]

• Local partners

• Local celebrities

• Government or community representatives

WHEN: [DATE]

[TIME] 

WHERE: [COMMUNITY SITE]

[ADDRESS]

[PHONE]

BACKGROUND: Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition!, 

or We Can!, is a national public education program from the National

Institutes of Health (NIH) to help prevent overweight and obesity among

youth ages 8–13. For more information or to download a handbook for

parents, visit http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov, or call 1-866-35-WECAN.

[INSERT LANGUAGE ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AS APPROPRIATE]
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Sample Press Release

[YOUR ORGANIZATION’S LOGO HERE] [WE CAN! LOGO HERE]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: [NAME], [ORGANIZATION]

[DATE] [PHONE], [E-MAIL]

[COMMUNITY SITE] Launches We Can! to Fight Youth Obesity

New Federal Program for Families Comes to [Region]

CITY, STATE – [COMMUNITY SITE] today launches We Can! (Ways to

Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition!), a new program from the

National Institutes of Health (NIH) to address the growing obesity

epidemic among youths ages 8–13. We Can! reaches parents and

caregivers in home and community settings with educational materials and

activities including a new six-lesson course for parents, a new parent Web site

(http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov), a parent handbook in both English and

Spanish, several youth programs, and community events and projects.

“Parents in [REGION] have new resources to help their families maintain a

healthy weight,” said [COMMUNITY SITE DIRECTOR]. “With the materials

that the We Can! program offers, we can help make a difference in the

lives of our residents.”

Activities for the We Can! program include [LAUNCH EVENT AND/OR

PROGRAM DETAILS].

“We Can! is designed to empower parents by providing them the tools

they need to promote healthy eating, increase physical activity and reduce

sedentary time within their families,” said Dr. Elizabeth G. Nabel, Director

of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at NIH.

We Can! reaches parents and caregivers in home and community settings

with educational materials and activities. Specifically, We Can! encourages

parents and caregivers to: 

• Increase the availability and accessibility of healthy foods in the home

• Enjoy small portions at home and at restaurants

• Limit the availability and accessibility in the home of sweetened beverages,

high-fat foods and energy-dense foods that are low in nutrients

• Support and enable family physical activity

• Support and enable reduced screen time

– more –
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We Can! encourages children ages 8–13 to:

• Choose a sufficient amount of a variety of fruits and vegetables per day

• Enjoy small portions at home and at restaurants

• Decrease consumption of high-fat foods and energy-dense foods 

that are low in nutrient value

• Substitute water, fat-free or low-fat milk for sweetened beverages

• Engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most,

preferably all, days of the week

• Reduce sedentary activity by limiting screen time to no more than 

two hours per day

We Can! is based on an in-depth review of the leading science-based

literature on obesity prevention, an environmental scan of relevant

materials from Federal and non-Federal agency programs as well as the

demonstrated capacity of community-based settings. NHLBI is joined by

three other NIH Institutes—National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive

and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Child Health and Human

Development, and National Cancer Institute—in promoting We Can! to

provide a comprehensive Federal government response to the critical 

issue of childhood obesity. 

NIH has designed We Can! so that any local civic groups, parent

groups, churches and others can implement these activities in their

communities. To date, 13 Intensive Community Sites and more than 

20 other communities have committed to use We Can! program

materials and organize classes and events. More information on 

We Can! for parents, caregivers and community organizations is

available at the We Can! Web site: http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or 

call 1-866-35-WECAN.

# # #

[ORGANIZATION’S BOILER PLATE]

Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition!, or We Can!, is a national public

education program from National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help prevent overweight and

obesity among youth ages 8–13. We Can! reaches parents and caregivers in home and

community settings with educational materials and activities to encourage healthy eating,

increase physical activity and reduce sedentary time. The program outlines five specific

desirable behaviors for parents and six for youth; for more information, visit

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call 1-866-35-WECAN.
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Sample Proclamation

[WE CAN! LOGO HERE] [YOUR ORGANIZATION’S LOGO HERE]

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Nutrition & Activity)

Proclamation

Note: Contact the office of your governor or mayor to set up an appointment with the executive

assistant. Explain the We Can! program and provide a copy of this form on your community

site letterhead. Most will be happy to use it as it stands.

[State or City] of __________________________

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS childhood obesity is a growing epidemic; and

WHEREAS We Can! reaches parents and caregivers in home and

community settings with educational materials to encourage healthy

eating, increase physical activity, and reduce sedentary time; and 

WHEREAS We Can! work together to prevent overweight and obesity

among America’s youth ages 8–13 years old,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, _______________________________ [Name],

___________________ [Title], __________________________________,

[City/State]

DO HEREBY PROCLAIM that _________________________________

[city/state] supports We Can!, and I encourage all citizens to join in this

program and help to create healthier home environments and help

children and families maintain a healthy weight.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereto set my hand and caused the 

Great Seal of the _____________________________________ to be affixed.

Done at the ___________________ on this _______________ day of

____________ two thousand and five.

By:

Title:

Attest:

Title:

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Consent and Waiver

I hereby grant permission to [OFFICIAL NAME(S) OF ORGANIZATION(S)]

to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, and exhibit my picture, portrait,

likeness, or voice, or any or all of them (or those of a child under my

guardianship), in or in connection with the production of a photograph,

videotape, audiotape, CD-ROM, or in any manner and for any purpose as

stated below, and

I hereby waive all rights of privacy or compensation (or those of a child

under my guardianship) that I have in connection with the use of my

picture, portrait, likeness or voice, or any or all of them, in or in

connection with said photograph, videotape, audiotape, CD-ROM, or Web

site and any use to which the same or any material therein may be put,

applied, or adapted by the organizations designated above.

It is understood and agreed that the above waiver is limited to the use by

the organizations listed above or by any of their agencies, departments, or

distributors for educational purposes only and not for profit or trade. 

It is also understood and agreed that this consent and waiver will not be

made the basis of a future claim of any kind against the organizations as

noted above or their affiliates.

Participant’s Name: ______________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

*Signature: ____________________________________________ Date: __________________

*If the above is the signature of a parent or guardian (required if individual

is a minor), please print the name here:

____________________________________________________________________________________
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Sample Cover Letter to Parents of

Children for Consent Form

Dear Parent:

On [DATE AND TIME], the [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] will host an event

to launch We Can!, an innovative program aimed at reducing overweight

among children ages 8–13 years by teaching and encouraging parents and

caregivers to create healthy home environments. We Can! was developed

and is supported by four components of the National Institutes of Health:

the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute

of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute

of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and National Cancer

Institute (NCI). 

We invite you and your child to join us for this exciting event, which

includes a news conference featuring [LIST PROMINENT SPEAKERS

AND TITLES].

Heart healthy activities to be held during the event include [ADD DETAILS]. 

We will have photographers [ADD “and videographers” IF APPROPRIATE]

documenting the event. We would appreciate your signing the

attached consent form to grant permission for your child to

participate in this exciting event, including being photographed or

videotaped. Please return it to [SPECIFY] by [PROVIDE DEADLINE].

If you have any questions, please contact [PROVIDE NAME AND 

PHONE NUMBER]. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

[NAME, TITLE, ETC.]

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Table of Contents

Sample Invitation to Potential Partners................................ 215

PowerPoint for Potential Partners ........................................ 217
214
Sample Invitation Letter to Partners

[MONTH] [DATE], [YEAR]

[HONORIFIC TITLE] [FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]

[TITLE]

[ORGANIZATION]

[ADDRESS]

[CITY], [STATE] [ZIP]

Dear [HONORIFIC TITLE] [LAST NAME]:

The [YOUR ORGANIZATION NAME] is poised to initiate a new and excited

program developed by the National Institute of Health that can help youth

and families maintain a healthy weight. We Can! (Ways to Enhance

Children’s Activity and Nutrition) draws on the research and community

studies that NIH has conducted for several years. 

We Can! will provide activities and programs that encourage improved

nutritional choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time in

youth ages 8–13. The initiative is unique among existing youth obesityprevention efforts in its focus on programs and activities for parents and

families as a primary group for influencing youth audiences. 

[COMMUNITY SITE NAME] has joined a network of other communitybased organizations around the country that are helping to create a

healthier hometown environment by conducting We Can! programs in

[CITY NAME] and would like to speak to you about a possible

collaboration with this new national initiative. 

Through We Can! we will be delivering programs, hosting community

events, and promoting media messages that encourage youth to 

• Choose a sufficient amount of a variety of fruits and vegetables per day.

• Decrease consumption of high-fat foods and energy-dense foods with

low nutrient value.

• Enjoy small portions at home and at restaurants.

• Substitute water, fat-free milk, or low-fat milk for sweetened beverages.

• Engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most—

preferably all—days of the week.

• Reduce sedentary activity by limiting screen time to no more than 

2 hours per day.

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We also will be encouraging parents and primary caregivers to

• Increase the availability and accessibility of healthy foods in the home.

• Limit the availability and accessibility in the home of sweetened beverages,

high-fat foods, and energy-dense foods with low nutrient value.

• Enjoy small portions at home and at restaurants.

• Support and enable family physical activity.

• Support and enable reduced screen time.

We believe that our organizations can work together in a number of ways

to directly address the critical problem of youth overweight and obesity 

in [CITY NAME] through We Can! and welcome the opportunity to 

discuss this possibility further. I will follow this letter with a phone call to

discuss the possibility of collaboration. In the meantime, please feel free

to contact me with any questions. We look forward to the chance to work

with you on this exciting new opportunity for [CITY NAME].

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[TITLE]

[ORGANIZATION] 

[TELEPHONE]

[EMAIL]

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Slide 1 Slide 2

Slide 3 Slide 4

Slide 5 Slide 6

Slide 7 Slide 8
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Slide 9 Slide 10

Slide 11 Slide 12

Slide 13 Slide 14

Slide 15 Slide 16
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Slide 19 Slide 20

Slide 21 Slide 22

Slide 23 Slide 24
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Slide 25 Slide 26

Slide 27 Slide 28

Slide 29 Slide 30

Slide 31 Slide 32
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Slide 35 Slide 36

Slide 37 Slide 38

Slide 39 Slide 40
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Slide 43
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Table of Contents

We Can! Materials Order Form .......................................... 225

NHLBI Nutrition and Physical Activity Tip Sheets ................233

We Can! Logo Guidelines and Artwork .............................. 235

We Can! Reference List........................................................ 241
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We Can! Materials Order Form

National Heart Lung & Blood Institute (NHLBI)

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 

1. Order online at http://emall.nhlbihin.net

2. Phone: (301) 592-8573 TTY: (240) 629-3255

(Please have your charge card ready)

3. Fax: (301) 592-8563 (Please include your charge card information)

4. Mailing: Print Catalog Orders

NHLBI Health Information Center

P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105

❑ #05-5272 We Can! Energize Our Community: Toolkit for Action 2005, 

126 page, 8.5 x 11 inches, color

❑ 56-260N/261N We Can! Wristband (adult/youth) 2005, silicone, .5 x 8 inches

(adult) and 0.5 x 7 inches (youth), blue imprinted with We Can! logo

❑ #05-5273/4 We Can! Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook

(English/Spanish) 2005, 32 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches, full color

❑ #05-5275 “Who Can Make IT Happen” Poster 2005, 28 x 40 inches, 

full color

❑ #55-909 Aim for a Healthy Weight Patient Booklet 2005, 40 pages, 

8.5 x 11 inches, color

❑ #2921 Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes from the NHLBI, 2003, 

152 pages, 6 x 9 inches, color

❑ #3792 Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style, 1997, 

28 pages, 6 x 9 inches, color

❑ #4049 Delicious Heart Healthy Latino Recipes, 1996, 59 pages, 

6 x 9 inches, color

❑ #KT-021 Aim for a Healthy Weight Primary Care Provider Education Kit, 

2003, 12 x 8.75 x 2.5 inches, color

❑ #5210 Your Weight and Health Profile-Tips to Weight Loss Success 

Patient Action Tablet, 2003, 96-page tear-off pad, 8.5 x 11 inches, color

❑ #55-832 Improving Cardiovascular Health in African Americans: Package of

Seven Easy-to-Read Booklets, 1997, 8 pages, 6 x 9 inch booklets, color

❑ #3646 Más Vale Prevenir Que Lamentar, 1999, 24 pages, 

8.5 x 11 inches, color

❑ #55745 Package of Eight, Easy-to-Read Booklets in Spanish and English on

Preventing Heart Disease, 1996, 8 booklets of 8 pages each, 6 x 9 inches, color

First copy $22.00

2+ copies $20.00 each

1–24 copies $2.00 each

25–99 copies $1.25 each

100+ copies $0.75 each

First copy Free

2–24 copies $1.50 each

25–99 copies $1.00 each

100+ copies $0.75 each

$1.50 each

25 copies $31.25

100 copies $100.00

1–24 copies $3.00 each

25–99 copies $2.52 each

100+ copies $2.40 each

$4.00 each

25 copies $85.00

100 copies $320.00

$3.00 each

25 copies $37.00 

100 copies $120.00 

$3.00 each

25 copies $37.00 

100 copies $120.00 

First Box $18.00

2+ Boxes $16.00 

$3.00 each

25 pads $37.50 

100 pads $120.00 

$3.50 each

25 copies $43.00

100 copies $140.00

$2.50 each

25 copies $31.00 

100 copies $100.00 

$3.50 each

25 copies $43.00 

100 copies $140.00 
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NHLBI Nutrition and Physical Activity Tip Sheets

You can download several helpful tip sheets on nutrition and physical

activity from the We Can! Web site, http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov

• Aim for a Healthy Weight Patient Booklet

• Guide to Physical Activity

• Low-Calorie Shopping List

• Fat-Free Versus Regular Calorie Consumption

• Low-Calorie, Low-Fat Alternative Foods

• Eating Healthy When Dining Out

• Eating Healthy With Ethnic Foods

• Fat Matters, But Calories Count

• Healthy Eating Starts With Healthy Food Shopping
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We Can! Logo Guidelines and Artwork

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE WE CAN! BRAND. We Can! (Ways to Enhance

Children’s Activity & Nutrition) is a national public education outreach

program charged with helping youth ages 8–13 maintain a healthy weight

through activities and programs that encourage improved nutritional

choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time. We Can!

is unique among existing youth obesity-prevention initiatives in its focus on

programs and activities for parents and families as a primary group for

influencing youth audiences. Audiences will be reached through

community outreach, national media and messages, and partnership

development. The program has been developed by the National Institutes

of Health’s (NIH) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), in

collaboration with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and

Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute of Child Health and Human

Development (NICHD), and National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

We Can! is an overarching and all-encompassing brand for addressing

childhood overweight and uses upbeat, encouraging, positive, “do-able,”

informative, and reassuring tones to convey its message. The overall goal

is to show parents, through easy-to-use materials, that they can influence

their children by supporting and enabling good nutrition, and physical

activity, and by reducing sedentary time behaviors. We Can! help parents

create a home environment conducive to supporting a healthy weight for

their children. 

These brand guidelines are for We Can! Intensive and General

Community Sites, national and local partners, and other groups

supporting and promoting the NIH We Can! program. The guidelines

address the use of the We Can! branded logo, color palette, URL

(http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov), and the toll-free number (1-866-35-WECAN).
Intended Use of the We Can! Brand

We encourage you to use the We Can! brand in banners, posters,

promotional materials, and give-aways that promote We Can! programming

in your community. To maintain the integrity of the We Can! message

tone and meaning, the logo can only be used with programs and events

with goals consistent with the objectives of NIH’s We Can! program.

The logo also can be used in conjunction with other organizations’ logos

if the organization’s mission is consistent with the intent of We Can!

Appropriate Use of the We Can! Brand 

The We Can! logo, URL, and the toll-free number (1-866-35-WECAN)

can be placed on:

• Promotional materials advertising We Can! youth and adult programs 

• Handouts printed for programs

• Banners promoting We Can! community and partner events that

embody the We Can! objectives of promoting heart healthy nutrition

behaviors, increasing physical activity and decreasing screen time

• Give-aways created for distribution at events listed above

Inappropriate Use of the We Can! Brand*

• We Can! is not an “anti” campaign and should not be used on

materials that speak negatively about unhealthy or physically inactive

behaviors or that discuss tobacco cessation or alcohol use topics.

• Under no circumstances should We Can! be associated with unhealthy

behaviors or products, such as alcohol consumption, tobacco use, or

firearms, or related companies.

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2. BRAND COLORS. Below is the color family for the We Can! brand. 

These two colors should be used and integrated whenever possible. 

PMS numbers have been provided. When these color choices are not

available, ask your vendor or printer to provide the best possible match. 

Blue:

• PMS# 300

• RGB #s for color selection in Microsoft programs:

Red: 0

Green: 120

Blue: 193

Orange:

• PMS# 021

• RGB #s for color selection in Microsoft programs:

Red: 245

Green: 142

Blue: 30

3. LOGO FORMAT. The We Can! logo must always be used without distorting

or altering the shape, proportions, letters, or colors. 

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PMS# 300 PMS# 021
Please conform to the design formats listed below: 

Print Format: When using the logo in print and Web documents,

both the three people and the tagline (Ways to Enhance Children’s

Activity & Nutrition) must be included. The logo must be at least 1.5

inches in width (0.71 inch in height). The smallest possible

dimensions are seen below.

Promotional Material Format: For promotional materials (e.g., advocacy

bracelets, pens, stress balls, etc.), you may use either the full logo or just

the program name, as seen below. This version of the logo is saved as

“Logo_promo” on the Web site. The logo must be at least 1 inch in width

(0.25 inch in height), as seen below.

4. LOGO COLORS. There is one color version of the logo: bright blue

(PMS# 300) and bright orange (PMS# 021), as seen above. Alternatives

to the colored logos are the following versions: 

a. Black: This logo is best for one-color print jobs or when printing on

a black-and-white laser printer or with a lighter solid color background

such as cyan or light green. A black logo file is provided on the program

Web site at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

b. White: Either of these logos will look good on a solid background

like black or dark colors. 

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5. LOGO FILE FORMATS

EPS: For professional and high-end printing, use the high-resolution

logo (eps version).

JPG: Low-resolution files (jpgs) are acceptable for electronic materials,

such as Web pages, PowerPoint presentations, or Word documents. 

All versions and formats of the logo are provided on the program Web

site at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

6. NAME USAGE

When using the We Can! name in text, please follow these guidelines:

• Correct usage of program name and tagline We Can! (Ways to

Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)

• We Can! (Two words, uppercase “W” and uppercase “C” only,

exclamation point and in boldface and italicized type). Example: 

The goal of promotion is to get people talking about We Can! and

eager to take part in it.

• When We Can! requires punctuation after the logo (e.g., when a

comma, quotation mark, colon, semicolon, or period is grammatically

required after the program name’s exclamation point), the We Can!

exclamation point prevails as the ending punctuation and other

punctuation marks are not used. Example: These messages are meant

to help students connect to We Can! and they are supported by

parents involved in We Can!

• When We Can! is in a sentence or heading that is italicized, do not

italicize We Can! Example: List of We Can! Activities

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*Adapted from VERBTM Logo Guidelines—www.cdc.gov/youthcampaigns/partners/usage-terms.htm
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We Can! Healthy Weight 

Reference List

If you want other We Can! ways to get your family to eat well and get more

physically active, call 1-866-35-WECAN or visit the We Can! Web site at

http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov. The Web site is full of information about

maintaining a healthy weight, nutrition, and physical activity. You can also

visit the Web site for recipes, healthy tips, and additional resources.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) http://www.nih.gov

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

• Aim For A Healthy Weight, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/

obesity/lose_wt/index.htm

• Portion Distortion Quiz, http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion/

• Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI), http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

• Heart-Healthy Latino Recipes, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/

heart/other/sp_recip.htm

• Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

health/public/heart/other/chdblack/cooking.htm

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),

http://www.niddk.nih.gov

• Weight-Control Information Network, http://win.niddk.nih.gov/

• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD),

http://www.nichd.nih.gov

• Milk Matters, http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/

• National Cancer Institute (NCI), www.nci.nih.gov

• Cancer Control PLANET, http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov/

physical_activity.html

• Eat 5 to 9 A Day, http://5aday.gov/homepage/index_content.html

• Body and Soul, http://5aday.nci.nih.gov/about/print_key_soul.html

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS)

• Steps to a Healthier U.S., http://www.smallstep.gov

• HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, www.healthierus.gov/

dietaryguidelines

• Healthier US.Gov, http://www.healthierus.gov/

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) PROGRAMS

• Eat Smart, Play HardTM, http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhard/

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) www.cdc.gov

• Overweight and Obesity, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/

obesity/index.htm

• Nutrition and Physical Activity, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/

• VERBTM, http://www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign/

• 5 al Día, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5AlDia/index.htm

• Body Mass Index, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/

U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) http://www.fda.gov

• Food Label Education Tools and General Information,

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-gen.html

• Consumer Nutrition and Health Information, http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/

~dms/lab-cons.html

• Information about Losing Weight and Maintaining a Healthy Weight,

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-wght.html

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ON PHYSICAL FITNESS AND SPORTS http://www.fitness.gov/

• President’s Challenge, http://www.fitness.gov/home_pres_chall.htm

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FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Health Information Center is a service of the NHLBI

of the National institutes of Health. The NHLBI Health Information Center provides information to health

professionals, patients, and the public about the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of heart, lung, and

blood diseases and sleep disorders. For more information, contact:

NHLBI Health Information Center

P.O. Box 30105

Bethesda, MD 20824-0105

Phone: 301-592-8573

TTY: 240-629-3255

Fax: 301-592-8563

Web site: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED: Under provisions of applicable public laws enacted by Congress since

1964, no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, handicap, or

age be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any

program or activity (or, on the basis of sex, with respect to any education program and activity) receiving

Federal assistance. In addition, Executive Order 11141 prohibits discrimination on the basis of age by

contractors and subcontractors in the performance of Federal contracts, and Executive Order 11246

states that no Federally funded contractor may discriminate against any employee or applicant for

employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Therefore, the National Heart, Lung,

and Blood Institute must be operated in compliance with these laws and Executive Orders.
244
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

National Cancer Institute

NIH Publication No. 05-5272

June 2005