9 - Promote Healthy Sleep (At least 9 hours, more for younger children)

Educate kids, parents, & caregivers about the importance of adequate sleep for good health:

  • Infants 0-2 months should get 10-1/2 to 18 hours, including naps
  • Infants 2-12 months should get 14-15 hours, including naps
  • Children 12-18 months should get 13 to 15 hours including naps
  • Children 18 months to 3 years should get 12 to 14 hours including naps
  • Children 3 to 5 years should get 11 to 13 hours including naps
  • Children 5 to 12 years should get 9 to 11 hours per night
  • Adolescents & teens should get 8-1/2 to 9-1/2 hours per night


5 - Promote Healthy Eating (Target of 5 fruits and vegetables a day)

Educate kids, parents, & caregivers about the importance of healthy eating for good health:

  • Children should eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
  • Parents/caregivers should offer fruits and vegetables at every meal and for snacks

2 - Limit Screen Time (Target of 2 hours or less outside of school)

Educate kids, parents, & caregivers about the importance of limiting screen time:

  • Limit screen time outside of school to no more than two hours per day.
  • Encourage children to read or play games.
  • Turn off the TV during meal times.


1- Promote Physical Activity (Target of at least 1 hour per day)

Educate kids, parents, & caregivers about the importance of physical activity for good health:

  • Children need at least one hour of physical activity per day.
  • Encourage parents/caregivers to set a positive example by making physical activity part of their lifestyle.


0 - Promote Healthy Beverages (Target of 0 sugar-added beverages per day)

Educate kids, parents, & caregivers about the importance of drinking zero beverages with sugar added:

  • Encourage parents/caregivers to serve water, low-fat milk, or 100% juice with children's meals and snacks.

Top
How You Can Help
Health Care Providers

As a health care provider you have a tremendous opportunity to influence the health habits of children and families. You can tip the scales for better health by spreading the 9-5-2-1-0 for Health message and supporting the 9-5-2-1-0 for Health in your practice environment.  Here are some ideas for getting started.
More Resources

To find other resources that can help you promote the  9-5-2-1-0 for Health lifestyle click here.

Health Care Providers
Healthy Tool Box
This package of tools
can help you to
promote healthy habits
in your practice.

Products to download:
New!!
Rx for Health--a prescription pad template for MDs to use to promote
9-5-2-1-0 for Health.

10 Things You Can Do

Health Care Providers Checklist

Recommended Videos:
CME: Treating Childhood Obesity:  Top Priority
(howstuffworks/DiscoveryHealth/Kaiser Permanente, 16 min.)

Childhood Obesity and Public Policy
(Standford School of Medicine, 52 min., [youtube])

For more tools that  Health Care Providers can use, visit our Tools to Use web page.
A Project of the
9-5-2-1-0 for Health