Healthy habits index

IF IT takes a village to raise a child, it takes an entire society to keep them healthy.

The Sun-Herald's Healthy Habits campaign finishes today after comprehensive 10-week coverage of the most serious health issue facing children today - obesity.

Almost a quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese, with 80 per cent of them likely to stay that way into adulthood. Doctors have warned that excess weight increases the risk of serious problems such as heart disease, diabetes and depression.

During the course of the campaign, which was supported by the Children's Hospital at Westmead, we learned that obesity was a complex problem. The proliferation of fat and sugar-laden convenience food; more sedentary lifestyles; poor public transport; pedestrian-unfriendly urban design and the cost of sport are all contributing factors - and finding solutions is equally complex.

While there is no silver bullet, the campaign provided families with seven simple steps that the experts say can help families maintain a healthy lifestyle. Designed by the Children's Hospital at Westmead, the ''Super Seven'' steps are: limit screen time, eat breakfast, make water the main drink, enjoy an hour of daily physical activity, get adequate sleep, know your weight and eat together as a family at least once a day with the television off.

These are all a step in the right direction.