Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Creating a 24/7 Plan for Your Child’s Health
When it comes to keeping kids healthy, balancing sleep, exercise and screen time is an ongoing challenge in our technology driven world. Luckily, researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center have teamed up to 
create a 24/7 plan for your child’s health. Follow along with some of the dos and don’ts to help your child create healthy habits.
DO:
- Get plenty of sleep! Children ages 1-2 years are recommended to sleep at least 11-14 hours a day (including naps) and kids ages 6 – 12 are recommended to sleep at least 9-12 hours a day! Sleep is the best time for our bodies to build energy while fighting heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure! You can find the full list of sleep recommendations from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine here.
- Limit screen time. Research has shown that limiting screen time (i.e. TV, cell phone, tablets, etc.) can help improve physical activity levels, improve healthy sleep habits and lower the risk factors associated with obesity. It’s important to find a balance for you and your family when it comes to screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics has created a tool to help your family achieve a healthy balance for screen time. Create your own Family Media Use Plan here!
DON’T:
- Get discouraged! We encounter challenges every day that can prevent us from leading healthier lifestyles; “exercise is boring”, “I’m too tired”, “I don’t have time”, etc. Challenge those barriers! Housework is a great way to get your family moving instead of sitting! Tip: housework doesn’t have to be a chore – turn on some music and make it a dance party! BREC has local parks that are free with lots of great ways for the whole family to be more active.
There are lots of great ways to help your family move more and sit less. This leads me to share about a neat opportunity here on our community to help future generations lead healthier lives!
Researchers at Pennington Biomedical are conducting a study to learn more about what motivates kids to make healthy choices. The study is called TIGER Kids and it’s a great way to contribute to knowledge that could help kids across the country.
Researchers are measuring things that influence how our kids perform in school, how to help them become more active and how to eat healthier. The study is also looking at body image, stress levels, family behaviors (like kids’ relationships with siblings) and other motivating factors that contribute to the choices kids make.
Beyond contributing to research that could help our kids get and stay healthy, what’s in this study for us? Kids earn up to $100 for participation and they have the opportunity to become a kid scientist! They can help researchers work to discover how to help kids move more, sit less and eat healthier.
Participating in this study is easy! You and your child will visit Pennington Biomedical a total of 3 times over a 2 year period. Interested in your child becoming a TIGER Kid? I’ve included the full study details below. To screen for the study, visit http://www.pbrc.edu/TIGERKids or call 225-763-3000.
TIGER Kids Study with Pennington Biomedical
Study Purpose
The TIGER Kids research study will evaluate ways to: increase kids’ physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior (help kids move more and sit less), encourage healthy eating, and assess other factors that may influence school performance, body image, stress and mood.
TIGER Kids participants will also receive valuable health information at no cost. Each participant is eligible to receive a copy of:
- their lab work; including blood sugar and cholesterol tests;
- a printout of their DXA scan, which includes total body fat, total muscle mass, total lean mass and bone density readings; and
- a copy of body measurement data including height, weight, waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure and heart rate.
Study Qualifications
To qualify, participants in this study should:
- Be between 10 and 16 years old
- Not be on a restrictive diet
Compensation
Total compensation for the completion of this study is $100.
Study Contact
Parents, are you ready to see if your child qualifies for the TIGER Kids study? Visit http://www.pbrc.edu/TIGERKids to screen online or call 225-763-3000.
About Pennington Biomedical :: The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. It is a campus of Louisiana State University and conducts basic, clinical and population research. The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes approximately 57 faculty and more than 20 post-doctoral fellows who comprise a network of 44 laboratories supported by lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and support personnel, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Pennington Biomedical’s more than 450 employees perform research activities in state-of-the-art facilities on the 222-acre campus located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
