Newly released data shows Chicago children need significant support in order to incorporate healthy options into their routine. As a part of Healthy Places, the Illinois Health Survey for Youth recently polled caregivers about the health and healthcare of children under 18 as it relates to the five criteria of 5-4-3-2-1 Go®!, a healthy lifestyle message designed to create an easy way to remember how to eat healthy and embrace an active lifestyle. Eight years ago, the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) developed 5-4-3-2-1 Go! to promote these daily recommendations for children and families: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 4 servings of water, 3 servings of low-fat dairy, 2 hours or less of screen time, and 1 hour or more of physical activity. Survey results show that fewer than 40 percent of Chicago children ages 0-17 meet any of the five daily recommendations, with the lowest percentage of achievement around the active play criteria. Low-income and minority children hold the greatest risk of not meeting most goals.

The report shows several key trends, including parent educational achievement level, as factors in meeting 5-4-3-2-1 Go! goals. While the majority of children are not meeting the recommendations, children whose parents had completed a college degree or higher were more likely to meet the standards than those children whose parents had not completed high school. Income level and ethnicity are also important in determining a child’s likelihood of meeting the requirements. Low income children are at highest risk of not meeting 5-4-3-2-1 Go! goals. Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children are less likely to meet the recommendations than Non-Hispanic White children.

For the past two years, Healthy Places, a joint obesity prevention project of the Chicago Department of Public Health and CLOCC, has been working to create healthier environments where Chicagoans live, work, learn, and play. To find out more about 5-4-3-2-1 Go! and to download resources, visit www.clocc.net. To learn more about Healthy Places, visit www.healthyplaceschicago.org.