For most people, watching TV, sending e-mails from cell phones, browsing the Internet and playing video games during the day are routine. But these habits are also unhealthy because time spent in front of a screen is a leading cause of obesity in adults and children.

Through grants funded by The Rapides Foundation, several local organizations, communities and schools stepped from screens for one week and sponsored healthy activities for adults and children.

April 19-25 was Turnoff Week, a nationally recognized week that encourages people to engage in healthy activities and spend quality time with their families, without being sidetracked by electronics and gadgets.

The Rapides Foundation’s Diet and Physical Activity Initiative endorsed Turnoff Week because research shows that reduction in screen time can improve a person’s health, which is at the heart of the initiative’s goals to increase physical activity and healthy eating for children and adults.

“We especially wanted children to participate in Turnoff Week because of the increase in obesity levels in younger-aged children,” said Joe Rosier, president and chief executive officer of The Rapides Foundation. “We know this may have been a difficult challenge, but we wanted to encourage everyone to try to limit their screen time and do something to get moving.” Suggestions for screen-free activities can be found on www.screentime.org.

Students in grades K-8 brought home brochures and newsletters containing a list of screen-free activities they could do with their parents and families. Many students signed pledge cards promising they would have a screen-free week and logged their screen-free daily activities.

Many schools sponsored Family Walk Nights at their schools’ tracks where students and their families walked together for 30 minutes or longer. Some schools sponsored family fitness nights or evening health fairs.

Fit Families for Cenla held a Biking Bash which included bicycle safety instructions and a bicycle rodeo. The City of Natchitoches held three sessions at local parks to motivate community members to use community parks to meet their fitness needs and goals. The Health Enrichment Network in Oakdale held a Downtown Walk & Talk to encourage people to walk during their lunch breaks without their cell phones.