Thanks in part to first lady Michelle Obama's campaign to fight childhood obesity, the issue that seems to be plaguing children in the United States has moved to the forefront of the consciences of many Americans. Not only is it glaringly obvious that a huge population of our children are surviving on less than nutritious diets, but their sedentary ways are wreaking havoc on their chances of growing into healthy, fit adults.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend around four hours a day watching television and another two on the computer or playing video games. When you subtract six to eight hours for school and about eight to ten for sleep, it's pretty clear that with so little time left in the day, screen time has definitely replaced a lot of the active play American children once engaged in. So how can you get your kids to stay active and healthy in a world obsessed with passive entertainment? Read these five tips to get you started–and remember, the younger they are when you instill good habits, the better!