One in six children in the U.S. is overweight. Given these numbers, it’s likely that you know, or are related to, one of them.

But did you know that overweight children are at high risk of becoming overweight or obese adults? And that this increases their risk of developing serious chronic conditions including heart disease, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers?

It’s a looming public health crisis that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s medical research agency, is trying to prevent through its We Can!™ program.

We Can! stands for “Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition.” We Can!™ provides science-based activities and resources to help 8- to 13-year-old children stay at a healthy weight.

The program focuses on parents and other caregivers, providing them with tip sheets and tools, as well as a hands-on, multiple-session program that covers the basics of maintaining a healthy weight—the We Can! Energize Our Families: Parent Program.

Civista Health, the Charles County Department of Health, and Charles County Parks & Recreation have joined together to assist parents and caregivers in helping children maintain a healthy weight by offering the WeCan!™ program in Charles County for six weeks beginning Tuesday, February 16th, 6:30 pm at Matthew Henson Middle School Community Center in Indian Head, Maryland.

Because exercise is included in each session, a medical release form must be completed before the first session. The program is free but advance registration is required. For more information call Civista on the Line toll-free at (888) 332-4847.