MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. --
In September, Marine Corps Semper Fit and Recreation
announced the launch of the 5210 Healthy Military Children Campaign.
Cherry Point’s Child Development Center instituted the 5210
HMC campaign in its curriculum this year to raise awareness of health issues
and encourage healthy living choices among military children.
The 5210 HMC campaign is a program that recommends the
consumption of five servings or more of fruits and vegetables, watching two
hours of or less or television, engaging in one hour or more of physical
activity and consuming zero sweetened beverages. The campaign supports healthy
living for military children.
According to Marine Administrative Message 462/14, the
campaign is the direct result of the Department of Defense’s child obesity
prevention working group report, which identified the need for a consistent
health program at child care centers at military installations.
“The 5210 Campaign is a program designed to help parents and
children make healthier life choices,” said Vianna Ramnath, the training and
curriculum specialist at the CDC here.
In addition to helping parents and children make healthier
life choices, the program incorporates three central concepts- working, playing
and living together by creating concrete hands-on experiences for both parents
and children to participate in, according to Ramnath.
In order for the program to be successful, families, child
care providers and youth and recreation centers must promote healthy living
choices. Healthy living starts at home, said Ramnath.
To help spread the word, children with the CDC decorated
paper bags donated by the Cherry Point commissary to help inform Commissary
shoppers about the new campaign.
“The 5210 Campaign focuses on parents being the key to its
success,” said Ramnath. “Education of the military child begins at home where
parents have the opportunity to teach their children the benefits of healthy
living at an early age.”
For more information about the 5210 HMC Campaign, visit
http://5210.milfamresearch.psu.edu/ or
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/factsheets/factsheet-5210healthychildren.pdf.