Tel: 203-630-4245
Fax: 203-630-4249
Email: meridenwic@meridenct.gov
165 Miller Street Meriden, CT 06450
The WIC program is a part of the Meriden, CT Health and Human Services Department
Hours of Operation
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Monday (8-4:30)
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Tuesday (8-6:30)
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Wednesday-Friday (8-4:30)
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Open 1 Saturday per month
Appointments conducted by phone, or in person as necessary
Describe your image
Building Healthy Habits
Your well-being is important to us at WIC. We are committed to helping our clients develop lifestyle habits that build strong, healthy bodies. During your appointments, you will not only discuss updates on you and your children's growth grids, but also discuss ways to create healthy diet and activity habits.
Why are healthy habits important?
and how can WIC help me?
Developing healthy habits like being active and eating a balanced diet will help your body function well now and in the future.
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WIC nutritionists help you learn about building healthy habits by discussing weight charts and providing guidance on such topics as picky eating, food intake guidelines, and physical activity recommendations.
How do you determine a healthy weight?
What makes someone's weight healthy or unhealthy is different for every person. Your medical history, diet, activity level, etc all play a part in this. One tool we use at WIC to begin assessing if your weight is healthy is the Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a measurement that tells us if your weight is appropriate based on how tall you are. WIC nutritionists review children's BMI with parents every 6 months. They also review prenatal weight gain at follow up appointments. This helps us start the conversation about healthy habits. Below is a chart explaining what the BMI categories mean.
Source: cdc.gov
Example of BMI chart for a 10-year-old boy
Did you know...
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A BMI of 85% or more is considered overweight, and 95% or more is considered obese. Obesity is directly linked to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis
Click the buttons to see:
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Explanation of BMI for Children and Teens
Explanation of BMI for Adults
Source: cdc.gov
What can I do if my or my child's BMI
is over 85% (overweight)???
Avoid These
foods high in fats, sugars, and salt
drinks with added sugar
more than 2 hours of TV, tablet, or smartphone time
eating takeout often
Start These
eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Follow the MyPlate food guide
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Get at least 1 hour of exercise daily
Make water your go-to drink
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How do I start making changes to my habits?
Making changes to habits takes time. WIC nutritionists can help you set small, achievable goals which will help you improve your health. First, let's see how ready you are to make a change using the Stages of Change chart!
Your new habit is formed! You have no intention to return to your unhealthy habit.
Termination
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You have not identified any changes you want to make in the next 6 months
Pre-contemplation
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You are thinking about making a healthy change (i.e - eating more vegetables, or going for more walks)
Contemplation
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You have been keeping up with your plan for at least 6 months
Maintenance
You have been following your plan and intend to continue (usually within the past 6 months)
Action
You have started to plan out how you will make your change (i.e - you will eat one more vegetable each day, or go for a walk twice per week)
Planningā
The 6 Stages of Change
Is there a healthy change that you want to make?
What stage of change do you think you are in?
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WIC nutritionists can help you set goals to keep you moving through these stages of change so you can form your new, healthy habit!
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