5-2-1-0 & BLEND
“AN EPIDEMIC OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND OVERWEIGHT, to which social, economic, and human behaviors have contributed, threatens long-term medical, psychosocial, and financial consequences beyond US society’s current capacity to respond. How the epidemic is controlled will be about the art and practice of social and behavioral change as well as the art and science of medicine. Missing from much of the public discussion is what the epidemic means to medical practice and the role of physicians as agents of prevention and change”.
Risa Lavizzo-Mourney, MD, MBA
President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Funding provided by Stearns County SHIP Initiative
BLEND is working to engage health care professionals in the prevention, assessment and treatment of overweight and obese children by promoting the 5-2-1-0 Wellness Program. 5-2-1-0 is designed to encourage smart eating and physical activity for children and families. The concept focuses on making changes in nutrition and physical activity that can be both healthy and enjoyable.
BLEND’s Medical Committee, comprised of physicians from CentraCare Clinic, St. Cloud Medical Group, Health Partners Central Minnesota Clinics and Williams Integracare Clinic, have developed tools for healthcare providers to use in their office to address the issues of childhood obesity, which includes materials for both patients and providers.
Are you a Heathcare Provider? Click here for 5210 Wellness Program materials.
What is 5-2-1-0?
This simple message is easy to remember. It is a great way for you and your family to eat healthy and be active. Here’s what it means:
5 – Eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables every day.
2 – Cut TV and computer screen time to 2 hours or less every day.
1 – Participate in at least 1 hour of moderate physical activity every day or 20 minutes of
vigorous activity at least 3 times a week.
0 – For almost 0 sugar-sweetened drinks every day, restrict soda pop, sports drinks, and fruit
drinks. Instead, drink water and 3-4 servings a day of skim or 1% milk.
Why 5-2-1-0?
5 – Eat fruits and vegetables at least five or more times on most days
The vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables helps kids grow. They also help fight off illness. Eating fruits
and vegetables may prevent weight gain. They fill up a stomach with low-calorie, healthy foods.
2 – Limit screen time (unrelated to school) to two hours or less everyday
Many kids sit and watch TV and snack for hours every day. As a result, they reach an unhealthy weight and
have trouble keeping up with their friends in active play. Too much TV has been linked with low reading scores
and attention problems. Kids under two years of age should not watch TV.
1 – Get one hour or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity everyday
Active play is fun and great for your child’s health. Active kids will likely become active adults. What you teach
them early will become part of how they live as an adult.
0 – Drink less sugar. Try water and low-fat or fat-free milk instead of sugar-sweetened drinks and whole milk
- Soda, sports drinks, chocolate milk, and juice have a lot of sugar, which adds empty calories
- Sugary drinks also lead to tooth decay and end up replacing milk in children’s diets. Low-fat milk is best for kids. They don’t need the extra fat and calories in whole milk
5-2-1-0 was developed by the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to address America’s health crisis of overweight and obese children and families.
More resources and information available, click here.
