Information for Clinicians

• Consistently deliver the 5-2-1-0 message
• Keep a list of good websites to give to patients.  Have appropriate books and magazines available in your waiting rooms.  Provide books, puzzles and activity sheets – especially for children – that help promote health eating and active living.
• Display educational posters and create a bulletin board for community partners to update.
• Know your community resources and refer patients to them.  These will help support families once they leave you office.
• Use a team approach to patient care.  Behavior change is a long-term process and involves other qualifies staff to help assure success.
• Frame your discussions to expand the patient/families perception of what healthy lifestyle changes they can make.  Keep goals small, simple and concrete.  Allow for personal choices.  Selections a child enjoys will be more easily sustained.
• Have patients set specific behavioral goals and action plans and be sure to ask about these during the next visitor follow up contact.
• Encourage involvement and change for the whole family and all caregivers.

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