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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) For Immediate Release Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Contact: NHLBI Communications Office [PHONE REDACTED] We Can! Joins National Call for Reducing Screen Time During Turnoff Week Children and teens who spend more than a couple of hours a day on average in front of a TV, video, computer screen, are more likely to be overweight than their peers who limit their screen time. We C (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition), a science-based national education program fr National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight, is working w Center for Screen Time Awareness (CSTA) and other national and community organizations to raise awareness about the negative impact of excessive screen time. CSTA is a leading nonprofit organiza focused on the impact of electronic media on society, health, education, family and community. Turnoff Week, April 21-27, is an excellent time to start limiting recreational screen time and boostin physical activity and healthier living. "We know that the more time a child spends in front of the TV or computer, the more likely he or sh be overweight," said Acting U.S. Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H. "Kids are spend more time sitting in front of screens every day than they do anything else except perhaps sleeping. F Turnoff Week, we are asking parents to turn off the screens and get active with their kids." Although the Turnoff Week awareness campaign formally lasts only seven days each year, Galson a "We encourage parents to regularly limit recreational screen time to fewer than two hours a day." More than 12.5 million American children and adolescents are overweight, putting them at increased for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and asthm Recognizing the prevention of childhood overweight as a national health priority, Galson leads the " Youth for a Healthy Future" childhood overweight and obesity prevention initiative and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Childhood Overweight and Obesity Coordinating Counc council is working with federal agencies and community stakeholders as they develop and foster pro such as We Can! that share the goal of providing options for community-based interventions. To help families make important lifestyle changes to prevent childhood overweight, the We Can! pr offers sensible, evidence-based guidance and tips for parents to help them not only reduce screen tim also to encourage physical activity and better nutrition choices. "Today more than ever, parents need keep their kids at a healthy weight," said Karen A. Donato, S.M., program coordinator of We Can! a the Obesity Education Initiative of NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). "By d simple things like keeping TVs out of our kids’ rooms or logging screen time to get an accurate pict ---PAGE BREAK--- daily habits, parents can begin to address this very real problem in a productive, positive way." At the national launch of 2008 Turnoff Week, held at the University of the District of Columbia, Ro Kesten, CSTA executive director, pointed out some stark realities: "Many kids are spending more th hours every day in front of screens, when they really should be spending less than two. As parents, w a large role in changing this reality, and Turnoff Week is a great opportunity to start." CSTA is the l nonprofit organization focused on the impact of electronic media on society, health, education, fami community. The organization provides information so people can make intelligent decisions leading healthier lives, functional families and vibrant communities. Consider the facts: Every day, children ages eight to 18 spend more than six hours watching TV, playing video g or using the computer for recreational purposes. The more time youth spend in front of the screen, the more likely they are to be overweight. Overweight is highest among children watching four or more hours a day. Research has shown that children who reduced their screen time showed decreases in body m index (BMI), which measures body fat related to height, and decreases in unhealthy weight g We Can! offers the following tips for parents: Agree to limit screen time to no more than 2 hours a day. Don’t put a TV in your child’s bedroom. Make screen time, active time by doing simple exercises during commercial breaks. Take a family walk after dinner instead of turning on the TV. Turn off the TV and play ball at the park. Parents and others can download a free screen time log to help assess the amount of time children an family members spend watching TV, playing video games, or using the computer for recreational pu The log sheets and other strategies to limit family screen time are part of the We Can! curriculum fo parents, "We Can! Energize Our Families," which is offered by hundreds of community sites nation In addition to ideas for parents to turn screen time into active time, We Can! offers lessons for youth adapt healthier lifestyles, including the Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television (SMART) curriculum and Media Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! A Curriculum for Youth. Four NIH Institutes have combined their unique resources and activities to create We Can!: the National Heart and Blood Institute; the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the Eunic Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and the National Canc Institute. We Can! is unique among existing youth obesity-prevention initiatives in its focus on reach parents and families as a primary group for influencing young people. The program offers flexible, t resources complete with partnership ideas and outreach opportunities to unite community organizati For more information, on We Can!, visit http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call toll-free 866-35-WE CAN 359-3226). To arrange an interview with Ms. Donato, contact the NHLBI Communications Office at (301) 496- ---PAGE BREAK--- email [EMAIL REDACTED]. To interview Dr. Galson, call (202) 205-0143. To speak with Mr. or for more information about CSTA, call [PHONE REDACTED] or email [EMAIL REDACTED]. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 In and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the prim federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more informat about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. Resources: We Can!, http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov We Can! Wean the Screen, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/live it/wean.htm Office of the Surgeon General: Childhood Obesity Prevention and "Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future," http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/obesityprevention.html NOTES TO MEDIA: For broadcast media: A bites/b-roll package including sound bites from Acting U.S. Surgeon Gene Rear Admiral Galson will be fed on the following days and times: Tuesday, April 15, 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern time and Friday, April 18, 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a Eastern time Satellite Name: Horizon 2, 74.05 Degrees West Transponder: 19 vertical (analog KU band) Downlink Frequency: 12140 Mhz. For general questions regarding the newsfeed, contact Jem Haskin at Tribalco, LLC, at 301-652-845 102. For interviews, contact the NHLBI Communications Office at [PHONE REDACTED].