The United Way of Greater Portland assembled six of the largest employers to launch the 5-2-1-0 program in response to the growing concern over the health and economic impacts of childhood obesity in the state of Maine. The program was initially a pilot project in 12 of Maine's municipalities, but quickly spread to even rural areas of Maine. In 2012, Maine officially launched the 5-2-1-0 Let's Go! Campaign. Since then it has been adopted in states across the nation, and even reaching U.S. military families in Hawaii and Japan.

As part of the Community Call to Action on Obesity in Palm Beach County, this evidenced-based campaign was launched in 2013 by the Palm Beach County Health Department in order to change children's unhealthy habits through lifestyle changes. Today, 5-2-1-0 is a healthy lifestyle campaign to help all county residents attain optimal health. This social marketing campaign is an evidenced based community-wide strategy for improving a child's health by promoting healthy behaviors. This message communicates four key behaviors (5-2-1-0) that promote healthy weight and overall good health

• 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day
• 2 hours or less of screen time (TV, computer, smart phones, video games, or tablets)
• 1 hours or more of physical activity
• 0 sweet drinks

The Evidence
5 or more fruits and vegetables a day: For a healthy American diet the USDA recommends 2 ½ cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits every day. One serving is measured as 1 cup of loose leafy green and ½ cup of fruits and other vegetables.1 (HHS and USDA, 2015).

¹ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.

2 hours or less of screen time (TV, computer, smart phones, video games, or tablets): The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children 18 months or younger excluding video chatting with relatives, a limit of 1 hour of screen time for those younger than 2 and 2 hours of screen time for those school aged to adolescence. This is based on research that shows for ages 4-9 excess of 1.5 hours of daily screen time is a risk factor for obesity. These recommendations are for recreational screen time not high-quality educational content or video chatting with long-distance relatives.² (AAP, 2016)

² American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communication and Media (2016). Media use in school-aged children and adolescents. Pediatrics, November 2016, VOLUME 138 / ISSUE 5. Available at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/5/e20162592

1 hours or more of physical activity: Regular physical activity helps to manage weight and reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes for children adolescence and adults including the elderly and persons with disabilities. To achieve these health benefits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a minimum of 60 minutes a day of physical activity consisting of a mix of strength and aerobic activity for children and adolescence. And adults should get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week plus 2 or more days of muscle-strengthening activity. For older adults and persons with disabilities if physically able they should aim to reach the recommended minimums and if they are unable they should be as active as their abilities and conditions allow and avoid inactivity.³

³ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Physical activity guidelines for Americans. Physical activity guidelines advisory committee report. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services.

0 sweet drinks: The USDA recommends shifting from choosing sugar-sweetened beverages to choosing beverages with no added sugars, such as water. Since the two main sources of added sugars in U.S. diets are sugar-sweetened beverages, snacks and sweets, this shift helps to reduce intake of added sugar to in line with the 10% of daily calories recommendation (Approx. 200 calories per day).¹