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father and daughter juicing

We Can: Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) is a national movement designed to give parents, caregivers, and entire communities a way to help children 8- to 13-years-old stay at a healthy weight.

Research shows that parents and caregivers are the primary influence on this age group. The We Can! national education program provides parents and caregivers with tools, fun activities, and more to help them encourage healthy eating, increased physical activity, and reduced time sitting in front of the screen (TV or computer) in their entire family.

We Can! also offers organizations, community groups, and health professionals a centralized resource to promote a healthy weight in youth through community outreach, partnership development, and media activities that can be adapted to meet the needs of diverse populations. Science-based educational programs, support materials, training opportunities, and other resources are available to support programming for youth, parents, and families in the community.

The We Can!® multimedia public service announcement (PSA) campaign, created in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Ad Council, encourages parents and caregivers to help children maintain a healthy weight by highlighting the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating habits in a fun and engaging way for the whole family.

The “I Can, You Can, We Can” PSAs are designed to empower parents and caregivers to find creative ways to challenge and engage their kids to make healthy choices. The television PSAs feature parents stepping out of their own comfort zones, with humorous results. This campaign is available in both English and Spanish. Check them out:

“Dunk” PSA

“Juice” PSA

An additional series of PSAs, entitled “All In Together”, takes a different approach by encouraging families to make family time healthy time and find fun ways to get healthy together.

“All In Together” PSA

Be sure to visit the We Can! program’s online component for family tips on eating right, getting active, reducing screen time, and various other topics.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; We Can!