Health Matters: Healthy Childhood Eating

The percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s. Today, about one in five school-aged children, ages 6–19 has obesity. Children with childhood obesity miss more days of school compared to children of normal weight, they may suffer from lower self-esteem and in the long term, childhood obesity is associated with having obesity as an adult which is linked to serious health conditions.

Changes in the environments where children spend their time—like homes, schools, and community settings—can help children achieve and maintain a healthy weight by making it easier to eat nutritious foods, get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, watch less television, and eat fewer foods and beverages high in added sugars or solid fats.

Today we will discuss healthy eating for children and how to include healthy eating habits as part of our summer meal planning.  Our guest today has some great information to share, and we are glad you joined us. 

Sereen Zawahri Krasuna
Program Coordinator
Sereen Zawahri Krasuna, MS, RD, LD, is a registered and licensed dietitian as well as our program coordinator. She has worked in clinical and wellness settings. She is bilingual as our Arabic speaking team member. Sereen attended The University of Akron where she earned her bachelor’s degree in dietetics. She completed her master's degree in nutrition from Kent State University where she wrote her thesis on organic food. In addition to helping others achieve their goals, Sereen enjoys traveling with her husband, being involved in her church, and spending time with her family.