A Lifetime Of Health Begins At Home

It's easy to instill healthy habits in your children. Really. All you have to do is eat right, get plenty of exercise, and let your kids see you doing it. That would be you, personally.

In developing children's values and habits, nothing is more effective than their significant adults' - generally their parents' - role modeling. It isn't a "Do as I say, not as I do" proposition.

"It doesn't do any good to sit on your sofa eating potato chips and lecturing your children on the value of vegetables and exercise," says Dr. Denise Sur, who directs the residency program for the UCLA/Santa Monica medical school and is the mother of four children aged 8 to 16. "One of the frustrations of being a parent is that you don't have control - and won't, ever - over what your children eat and whether they exercise.

"The best we can do is make healthy choices available, then demonstrate by our own actions that we believe health is important and hope that if they even pick up a portion of the behavior we've modeled, it will make a difference."

Does this mean that our children will see us eating veggies and instantly ask for second helpings of broccoli? Not exactly. However, our behavior does greatly increase the likelihood that they will make healthy choices down the line.

Why it Matters

One in every five American children is overweight. Of that number, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 11 percent are actually obese. Plainly, we all have work to do for healthier children.

Teaching healthy habits has two profound effects: First, instilling behavior patterns -- whether diet or exercise or respectful treatment of the environment -- in children is more likely to "hard-wire" those habits into their psyche, where they'll help shape adult behavior. Don't think of it as nagging, think of it as creating consciousness: A child who's grown up thinking about fiber and sugar is much more likely to check out the nutrition panel on a box of cereal than a child who's never heard that cereal boxes have nutrition panels.

A second, serious reason to start health habits early is that many "adult" diseases begin in childhood. For example, recent research has discovered hardening of the arteries in young adolescents, indicating that the build-up of plaques from cholesterol begins much earlier than first suspected. Disease doesn't just land on us when we reach our 40s. Some chronic illness gets a head start when we are in elementary school and can be affected by our habits, for better or worse.

A Word of Caution

Wendy Davis, clinical dietitian and nutrition educator for Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Md., warns parents to refrain from going too far in the opposite direction with their concerns.

"You don't want to encourage dieting in children," she says. "Just focus on healthy habits, particularly in concentrating on less fat and fewer high-sugar foods. Encourage them to eat a well-balanced diet, get plenty of exercise and avoid the extremes on either side." Davis advises families to approach health together. Instead of sitting indoors playing video games, go for a bike ride or ski together.

And remember, easy does it. There are already too many societal influences putting pressure on children regarding their body image, Davis says. Better to take a subtle approach and invite your child to participate as you go about your own healthy activities than to heap on guilt or disapproval.

Educate Yourself

To teach, we need to know. So it's important for parents to educate themselves about the many aspects of healthy living.

"My classic example is that a lot of people believe if they give their children cereal, it's nutritious," says Dr. Sur. "The majority of cereal out there has no nutritional value. You might as well be giving them donuts. Parents are fooled because the advertising says you're giving them vitamins. Big deal. You can give them vitamins in a pill. The purpose of the cereal is fiber. So my children know that they're not allowed to have cereal unless it has a double-digit fiber content."

Don't Underestimate Your Child

From an early age, children can understand nutritional information and make decisions affecting their health, Davis and Sur say. The key is to give them the data with which to make informed decisions.

"I let my children make choices," Sur says, "but I also offer them guidelines. My 8-year-old easily can figure out what a double-digit fiber content on a breakfast cereal is. Rather than just saying, 'That's junk food,' teach them how to evaluate information. Kids love controversy. If I point out to the kids what someone said on a commercial versus what's really true, they love finding out when someone's trying to dupe them."

About Those Teenagers

You're right. Your teenager might not listen to you about carrot sticks any more than he or she listens about how cool your music is. But if you've planted the seeds, those habits you've been cultivating all along will ultimately bear fruit. Just don't expect miracles.

"My 16-year-old who fought me on healthy eating for years now has a coach he respects who's talking to the kids about nutrition," Sur says. "Now he's completely into it because the coach says so. I don't care how it happens, just that it does. I set the stage and if he's now hearing the message about healthy eating? Mission accomplished."

Tips to Get You Started

A great place to start is with a child/parent consultation. Sit down with your children and make a list of new activities you're going to do this week. For example: "Ride my bike for 30 minutes," or "Jump on the mini-trampoline as long as I watch television." Here are some additional tips:

• Reward children with your time and attention instead of food.

• Cut back on how much television all of you watch. Agree at the beginning of the week how many hours you'll watch - then turn off the television.

• Seek weight-loss or weight-management programs designed for parents and children. The greatest determiner of childhood obesity, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, is maternal obesity. What you do matters.

• Set priorities, and make sure they include time together just talking and enjoying each other. Positive communication can be one of the healthiest habits of all.

• Take some time each day to be quiet, whether in prayer or meditation or just sitting outside watching the sunset. Learning early in life to spend time reflecting and getting centered can counteract stress throughout a lifetime.

Additionally, there are a multitude of books, videos and magazines available with healthy recipes and activities for the entire family. Regardless of the approach that you choose, remember to make it fun and make it a family event.