Here are some Web sites I recommend for parents, teens, and preteens who are interested in health, weight management, nutrition, and physical activity:
- www.teenshealth.org is sponsored by the Nemours Foundation and is aimed at teens looking for accurate information about health, relationships, and growing up.
- www.kidsnutrition.org has an interactive "healthy eating plan calculator" that provides a customized general eating plan for normal-weight children and teens, (between the ages 4 and 18) that is meant to help them eat healthfully without gaining excessive weight.
- www.eatright.org is the Web site of the American Dietetic Association and has a "consumer resources" section, as well as a link for "Find a Nutrition Professional" that helps consumers locate registered dietitians in their geographic area.
- www.diabetes.org is the Web site for the American Diabetes Association, which has a "for parents and kids" link that includes a separate area for teens.
- www.win.niddk.nih.gov has all kinds of information about weight control, including some for parents and teens.
- www.girlshealth.gov (also www.4girls.gov) is designed for girls between the ages of 10 to 16 and provides reliable information on health topics - including fitness, nutrition, and relationships - that concern girls.
- www.shapingamericasyouth.org is an initiative designed to identify, centralize, and provide information about programs and community efforts across the U.S. directed at increasing physical activity and improving nutrition in youth.
- www.exhibits.pacsci.org/nutrition is an interactive site that has games for learning about various aspects of nutrition, weight control, sports nutrition, and more. It also allows you to enter gender and age, then put meals together to see how they stack up nutritionally.
- www.bam.gov is the BAM! Body and Mind Web site, designed for kids, ages 9 to 13, to give them information to make healthy lifestyle choices. It's got tools that help kids set up their own physical activity routines, as well as a "teacher's corner."
- www.girlpower.gov is the Web site for Girl Power!, a national campaign to encourage 9- to 13-year-old girls "to make the most of their lives." With separate areas for grownups and kids, the site has information on body image, nutrition, fitness, and healthy lifestyle.
- www.smallstep.gov was designed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help people make gradual, positive changes in their eating and activity habits. Information is divided into two main sections - one for adults and teens, the other for younger kids.
- www.verbnow.com is an interactive Web site designed for kids between ages 9 and 13. It was created "to help children discover the excitement of being active and living a healthy lifestyle."
- www.melpomene.org/girlwise/girlwise.htm addresses topics including nutrition, physical activity, and body image.
- www.presidentschallenge.org is a program that encourages people of all ages "to make being active part of their everyday lives." The site has a link just for teens and an activity log for tracking progress.
- www.tvallowance.com allows you to purchase a device that controls the amount of time a television can be turned on.
- www.tv-turnoff.org offers practical tips for watching less TV.
- http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/shi/default.aspx is the link to the Healthy Youth! School Health Index which is a self-assessment and planning tool developed by the CDC for schools to improve their health and safety policies and programs.
- www.clinicaltrials.gov is a U.S. government website that provides information about federally and privately funded clinical research involving human volunteers. If you enter "child obesity" in the search bar, you can find a list of studies that are recruiting young people.
- www.newmoon.org is the Web site for New Moon Publishing, which produces New Moon Magazine. The ad-free magazine is edited by and for 8- to 14-year-old girls and focuses on contemporary issues that interest girls, emphasizing non-appearance-related accomplishments.
- www.actionforhealthykids.com addresses overweight, sedentary, and undernourished youth by focusing on changes in schools. The site provides resources to improve schools and links so users can find out what's going on in schools in their state.
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