N@N

This Summer, Get Fit as a Familya"Parents Can Lead the Way and Set Their Kids on a Healthful Course

^{Published on 2011-07-11 05:35:51 - Market Wire}
 

LOS ANGELES--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--aSummer, with its warmer weather and longer daylight hours, is the ideal season to get fit as a family,a says Jonathan Scheff, MD, chief medical officer for Health Net, Inc. With this goal in mind, [ Health Net, Inc ]. (NYSE:HNT) is sharing tips to make this summer truly memorable by shaping up and having family fun in the process.

"Summer, with its warmer weather and longer daylight hours, is the ideal season to get fit as a family"

Scheff adds, aAccording to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, and obese youngsters are more likely to become overweight or obese adults who are at greater risk for developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis. By being fit themselves,a explains Scheff, aparents can set their kids on a healthful course a" hopefully a" for life.a

Shape-up suggestions

Health Net health education specialist Andy Padilla shares the following tips to get started on a family-centered, summer-shape-up program:

• Meet and plana"As a starting point, sit down as a family and make sure that everyone agrees to embark on a summer, family-fitness plan. Then, based on the Presidenta™s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutritiona™s recommendation that children should engage in 60 minutes of physical activity daily, and adults a" at minimum a" should engage in 30 minutes, create an activity calendar that specifies what time each day will be devoted to fitness. Ita™s important that a" as a family a" you make a commitment to stick with this schedule.
• Keep it simplea"The less complicated your shape-up activities are, the more likely it is your family will stay on track. For example, rather than piling in the car and heading to a scenic hiking destination, simply walk or bike around your neighborhood. Or, instead of investing in pricey gym memberships that often go unused, load up on low-tech fitness gear such as jump ropes, basketball and soccer balls, as well as the ever-popular Frisbee^®.
• Turn off, tune outa"According to Leta™s Move!, which is First Lady Michelle Obamaa™s initiative to address childhood obesity, those ages 8 through 18 devote an average of 7.5 hours a day to TV, computers, video games, cell phones and DVDs. Spending time on such activities runs counter to the goal of getting fit. Consequently, as part of a summer-shape-up program, ita™s suggested that rules be set limiting the amount of time youngsters can spend watching TV, playing video games or focusing on myriad other electronic pastimes. In fact, consideration should be given to extending such rules beyond summer.
• Snooze to losea"While it seems counterintuitive, sleeping can ward off unwanted weight. As reported by Leta™s Move!, a recent study found that with each extra hour of sleep, the risk of a child being overweight or obese dropped by nine percent. Sleep guidelines from Leta™s Move! include: children under 5 should sleep for 11 hours or more per day; youngsters ages 5 to 10 should get 10 or more hours of sleep daily; and those over age 10 require at least nine hours per day.

Health Neta™s Scheff suggests, aThe healthful habits that were established during summer shouldna™t be abandoned once winter arrives. While some modifications may have to be made due to weather, staying fit should be a year-round goal.a

About Health Net

Health Net, Inc. is a publicly traded managed care organization that delivers managed health care services through health plans and government-sponsored managed care plans. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. The company provides health benefits to approximately 6.0million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare (including the Medicare prescription drug benefit commonly referred to as aPart Da), Medicaid, Department of Defense, including TRICARE, and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Neta™s behavioral health services subsidiary, Managed Health Network, Inc., provides behavioral health, substance abuse and employee assistance programs to approximately 5.1 million individuals, including Health Neta™s own health plan members. The companya™s subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.

For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit the companya™s website at [ www.healthnet.com ].