Healthy Lifestyles
Healthy lifestyles for children include daily decisions that can significantly influence overall health for years to come. Key aspects of a healthy lifestyle include consuming a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, engaging in regular physical activity, reduced screen time, and ensuring adequate sleep each night. By making informed decisions and establishing healthy habits early on, children can maintain a healthy weight, grow strong bones and teeth, achieve good brain development, improve mental health, attain academic success and prevent chronic diseases into adulthood.
Community insights
In the eight-county primary service area—Collin, Denton, Grayson, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise counties, 13% of children (about 70,700) ages 10 to 17 are overweight and 16% of children (about 90,000) are obese.1 The local rates of children who are overweight are similar to Texas (15%) and national (15%) estimates; however, Texas has a higher rate of children who are obese at 22% of children.1 Children across the eight-county service area are not consistently engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors that contribute to maintaining a normal BMI and reduce the risk for various health conditions.1
While it is evident, that living a healthy lifestyle significantly benefits children's overall health, many children in the service area face obstacles that prevent them from making healthy choices. These obstacles can be both individual, such as a lack of knowledge about healthy food choices and exercise, and community-based, such as limited access to safe recreational spaces and affordable healthy food options. As a result, working to address these barriers is essential to ensure that all children have the opportunity to lead healthier lives.2 View the county-level snapshot to learn more about issues related to healthy lifestyles in our eight-county service area.
Our focus areas and key efforts
5210+ Every Day
5210+ Every Day encourages families to make healthy lifestyle choices by eating nutritious food, getting physical activity and restful sleep. 5210+ Every Day was adapted from two national recognized and evidence based programs, "5210 Let's Go!" and Coordinated Approach to Children Healthy (CATCH).
Gardening
Gardening is an engaging way to teach a child about healthy lifestyles and skills that are far reaching. We support local gardens so children have a hands-on opportunity to grow what they eat. Gardens are built to accommodate each site partner’s individual needs – some are built in raised beds, containers, towers, with indoor grow lights, or individual planters for kids.
Nourishing Communities
We tackle food insecurity through a collaborative approach focused on both immediate and sustainable solutions.
Contact us about our program
For questions or information on our healthy lifestyles programming, please email emily.epperson@cookchildren.org
Access free resources
The Center for Community Health is committed to providing free education and access to our data.
References
1Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. Fast Facts: 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health. Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health; 2023. Supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (accessed September 2025) www.childhealthdata.org
2Community Health Needs Assessment Report. (2024). Cook Children’s Health Care System. Fort Worth, Texas; or Cook Children’s CHNA 2024 at www.cookchildrens.org/chna (accessed September 2025). https://www.cookchildrenscommunity.org/data