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LiveWell Tots

Beach Cities Health District's LiveWell Tots program is the first comprehensive obesity prevention program developed specifically for preschool aged children. Through nutrition education lessons incorporating mindful-based learning and activities, hundreds of Beach Cities children are improving their overall health and well-being.

LiveWell Tots Overview

LiveWell Tots builds upon the proven success of BCHD’s elementary school-based LiveWell Kids childhood obesity program. Annual LiveWell Kids body mass index (BMI) testing identified a need to move obesity prevention even further upstream, with data showing that 25 percent of children entering RBUSD kindergartens already had BMIs classifying them as overweight or obese, or at-risk levels. 

LiveWell Tots aims to impact the overall well-being of preschoolers and lower BMI levels by educating children on both nutrition and mindfulness. Its curriculum includes best practices from BCHD’s years of school-based preventive health programming, along with industry-leading mindful education strategies. During LiveWell Tots, preschoolers will learn to:

  • Eat whole foods that are closest to nature’s source
  • Choose minimally processed foods
  • Limit low quality “thumbs-down” foods like cookies, chips, and candies
  • Select a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables (eat from the rainbow)
  • Show appreciation and gratitude for food and where it comes from
  • Develop a positive relationship with healthy foods
  • Utilize the senses to practice mindful eating

Learning and practicing mindful attention—becoming consciously aware of the present moment—is a key component of LiveWell Tots. Research in developmental cognitive neuroscience, social and emotional learning, and positive psychology have proven that teaching children to focus their attention, utilize their senses and control their breathing, optimizes their learning capacity and lowers stress levels. It also helps kids build self-awareness, self-confidence, self-management, social awareness and relationship skills. 

Monthly lessons incorporate mindful activities with nutrition discussions, movement activities and food sampling with music, stories, and crafts when appropriate. Parents are also educated through monthly newsletters containing tips, food guides, recipes and suggestions for learning extension activities to practice with their child at home.

Contact Info

Roxanne Luce
LiveWell Tots Program Coordinator 
310-374-3426 x255