Survey: Kids’ Healthy Habits Decline During Summer; Latino Parents Most Concerned

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This summer, many kids will spend many sunny days indoors staring at a screen, getting little exercise and reaching for lots of sugary drinks, according to the YMCA’s Family Health Snapshot survey of 1,200 parents, Today.com reports.

Here are some key findings:

  • About 64% of parents said their kids spend three or more hours a day online, playing video games or watching TV during the summer. That’s 30% more screen time than during the school year.
  • While produce consumption rises during the summer months, many kids still don’t eat the recommended amount of vegetables.
  • Only 26% of kids spend more than an hour each day reading a book for fun during the summer.
  • About 75% of kids consume sugary drinks at least weekly during the summer, and 25% of kids average one or more sugary drinks a day or nearly daily.

Latino and black parents were far more concerned than white parents about ensuring their kids eat healthy foods during the summer (47% vs. 32%) and preventing learning loss (46% vs. 33%).

To give parents help and raise awareness of the “summer slide,” YMCA will launch a national campaign, Hop the Gap, with a kick off on Healthy Kids Day on April 25.

“Our job is to help families recognize they have the power to keep their kids healthy and ready to learn by keeping them focused, encouraging them to eat healthy, exercise and trading their tablets for books,” said Dr. Sandra G. Hassink, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Find more resources on healthy lifestyles here.

By The Numbers By The Numbers

20.7

percent

of Latino kids have obesity (compared to 11.7% of white kids)

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