How do You Teach Kids to be Healthy?

Posted on November 12, 2008

Research has shown that overweight/obese children as young as 10 can have the same blockage of arteries as 45-year-olds.  What’s the cause?  The same thing that usually causes blockage in adults –an unhealthy lifestyle.

“The time has come to seriously deal with the issue of childhood obesity and physical inactivity on a governmental and parental level.” 

Source here.  

Ok, so how do we fix this?  Honestly, I think it starts in the home.  In a home where parents live a healthy lifestyle is a home where a child is more likely to live a healthy lifestyle.  When that child is grown up, he/she is also more likely to maintain that healthy lifestyle.

I don’t have any kids yet, but I will soon (our first is due in March).  Those of you with kids, how do you encourage/help your kids live healthy, active lifestyles?

I remember when I was a kid, we didn’t have ipods, cell phones, or fancy computer games to keep us entertained.  I remember going outside and building forts with my friends, or riding our bikes around the neighborhood, or even getting a game of street hockey or baseball going.  

Today it seems there is more TV, text messaging, IMing, computer gaming, etc. for there to be any desire to be active at all.  How do sports and other physical activities compete with today’s technology?

What about eating habits?  How do you teach children to make good food choices?  Is it possible?

The bottom line is there is a problem with childhood obesity and other lifestyle related health problems in kids.

Am I wrong in thinking that healthy parents can help develop healthy kids? What else can be done? What’s your take on the problem and what are some solutions?

Other Posts You Might Like:

 Subscribe

Don't forget to shop for gear at LittleTriathlete

» Filed Under Prevention, healthy lifestyle

Comments

  • http://twitter.com/blakehagen/status/ Blake Hagen

    How do you encourage/teach your kids to be healthy? http://tinyurl.com/6gcdy3

  • http://www.myfamilydoctormag.com/blog James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    You are absolutely correct. Kids learn best by example. Find ways to play with them. Send them outside for 30 minutes or so a day. Provide them with nutritious meals and snacks.

    It must begin at home.

  • http://marksalinas.com Mark

    Fantastic insight Blake! Nice post!

    Mark’s last blog post..Everday Fitness

  • http://fatfightertv.com/blog FatFighterTV

    It definitely starts at home, and the younger you start, the better.

  • http://www.biz319.wordpress.com Biz

    I do agree that healthy kids come from healthy parents, but there has to be a balance.

    My daughter’s teenage friend has parents that are vegetarian, keep no processed food in their house, they basically ban a lot of stuff from even entering it in their home. The result? Whenever she is out of that home environment, she goes crazy because she knows she won’t have it when she gets home. She’s eaten five donuts, a huge bag of cheddar cheese popcorn, and a 12 inch pizza all by herself while at my house!

    We have “fun” snacks in the pantry, but because our kids are used to it being there, it isn’t a big deal. A donut once a week won’t kill them, and they are both very healthy!

    Biz’s last blog post..I love coffee!

  • Blake Hagen

    @Biz I agree – definitely need to have balance. Thanks for the feed back!

  • http://blog.superhealthykids.com Super Healthy Kids

    Kids want to be healthy! We can empower them to choose healthy foods over junk food by educating them. They can be the ones to say they want to play out side rather than watch TV. By example, by educating, and helping them reach their potential. They can also influence their friends to want the same thing.

    Super Healthy Kids’s last blog post..Potato Cheese soup healthy makeover

  • Blake Hagen

    @Super Healthy Kids Thanks for your thoughts. I agree, I think they can make good choices if we do educate them. PS- love your blog!

  • http://www.thebaseballstore.net/ baseball Equipment Lover

    It starts at home. Parents need to make more time for their kids and learn them some sports. My kids love baseball and they don’t spend to much time on the internet.

    baseball Equipment Lover´s last blog post..Baseball Bounce Back Ability

  • http://yonaturals.yonaturals.com/ yonaturals

    Its the eating habit thats causing it. Parents should regulate what their kids eat. All of it must be naturals, as much as possible it should be a veggie.

    yonaturals´s last blog post..Vending Health to a Health-Conscious Public

  • http://healthy-living-reviews.com live healthy

    You are right. Kids learn best by example. Make them love nutritious meals, this is easy, play with fruits, f.e.!(there are lots of examples for this on the web). Also, making lots of salads a day is great, involve them and explain to them how they can benefit from it.
    It definitely starts at home. However, if they don´t want it, don´t force them, many parents seem to overlook that in their craze for raising their kids the healthy way…