Health Tips > Prevention Plus > How to Inspire Healthy Family Habits

How to Inspire Healthy Family Habits

It has been said that “today’s generation of children may be the first to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents.” What a bleak statement in the 21st century!

Approximately 33% of children, or one in three, are either overweight or obese. The result—our children are now being plagued with adult diseases such as bone and joint disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, heart disease and many others. As parents and caregivers, we are the ones who can ignite change. We can give our children the tools, knowledge and hope for a healthier life.

“Approaching healthy habits from a whole family approach is critical for long-term success,” Patty Kirk, RDN, LD, Cooper Clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionist said. “Staying active together and selecting nutritious foods are keys to fostering wellness within the family and working together on the same team to achieve a healthy, long-term lifestyle.”

Family Nutrition and Mealtime

Families who eat meals together can thrive together. Research shows that healthy family meals are a powerful opportunity to establish and model eating habits that can last a lifetime. More shared eating time is associated with a higher intake of nutrient-dense foods and lower rates of obesity.

It’s natural for children to like foods that are familiar to them and dislike unfamiliar foods. It can take nearly a dozen attempts for children to accept new foods, but here’s a few tips to ease the transition into healthier eating habits.

Try pairing the new food with a food they already like or with which they are familiar. Try pairing a new vegetable with a dip they already like.
Be a role model. Children are more likely to try a new food if they see an adult eating the same food. Encourage your child to describe the food. Don’t drink a soft drink if you expect them to drink milk or water.
Provide a variety of foods. Children are more likely to have a varied and balanced diet later in life if they are introduced to a variety of foods, tastes and textures during weaning and in early childhood. By eating a variety of foods, your child obtains different nutrients from a wide selection of foods.
Five is fine, nine is divine. Dr. Cooper encourages all of his patients to eat at least five fruits and vegetables per day, but nine is ideal. Fruits and vegetables are particularly important because children’s diets are usually low in these nutritious foods. The average American teenager only eats 1.6 servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
Involve your children. Take them to the grocery store and ask them to pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try. Studies have shown kids are more likely to try a new food if they are involved in food preparation. They can help with something as simple as washing or snapping the green beans or arranging a vegetable tray.
Set a regular mealtime and eat as a family, as often as possible. If not dinner, try breakfast It helps boost their energy and brainpower, which is especially important for school. Remember they are more likely to eat breakfast if you do, too!

Family Exercise

As a parent, it can feel hard to justify the “me time” necessary for exercise. But here’s a statistic that is hard to forget: Kids are twice as likely to engage in physical activity if a parent does so regularly. If both parents exercise, it increases the odds by nearly sixfold. Therefore, when it comes to modeling good habits, it’s important to exercise not despite our families, but because of them.

Be active together. Practicing physical activity as a family is not only fun, but it’s a great way to get moving and spend time together. Go for walks, bike rides, play tag or basketball—anything that gets everyone moving more.
Create traditions around more than just food. Holiday traditions, in particular, are often centered around what foods to eat and which gifts to give. But what if they involved movement as well? A Thanksgiving morning hike, winter ice skating or a Fourth of July game of capture the flag are all ways to share joy with your family while reinforcing being active.
Limit screen time. When families spend excessive amounts of time in front of screens, it can be tough to find the time or energy to be active. Try setting limits on screen time (TV, computer, phone) and replacing some of that lost time with physical activity.
Make sports a priority. Encouraging your kids to participate in sports is an excellent way to promote healthy habits and help them stay physically active.

One of the best things you can do for your family’s health is to start early. If you can motivate kids to create healthy habits when they’re young, it becomes a part of their lifestyle and they are more likely to stick with it as they grow older.

Remember healthy habits are flexible, forgiving and require lots of patience. It’s a process and a journey with the goal of progress, not perfection. Moderation is the key. You can make the decision as a parent to make gradual changes and replace less healthy habits with healthier ones that over time yield strong, lean and healthy kids!

Article provided by Cooper Aerobics Marketing and Communications.