Parents need to be health role models!

There is much talk these days about obesity and lack of health among the younger generation in our country. Many fingers are pointing the blame at fast food, schools, TV, computers, video games and change in values of our society. All of those reasons play some role, but parent role modeling is proving to have the biggest impact.

Two-thirds of United Kingdom schoolchildren surveyed about their parents' fitness levels stated that their mom and dad do almost no physical activity. After testing the children's fitness levels, researchers found that the children of sedentary parents were 50 percent more likely to be classified as physically unfit.

Dr. Gavin Sandercock, the lead author of the study (University of Essex, June 2012) adds, "As parents, we don't need to be Olympic athletes to be good role models for our children. We need our children to know that we encourage and support their physical activity and, most importantly, we need our children to see us being active ourselves."

A Stanford University School of Medicine study found 64 percent of children with overweight parents became overweight, compared with 16 percent of those with normal weight parents. The study noted parental obesity was the most potent risk factor in overweight children. Genetics do factor in, but environment, types and amount of food consumed, and amount of exercise were significant factors.

In a study of 1,328 teens in Germany, researchers found that the entire family environment matters when it comes to a child's overall health and fitness. They discovered that parents who have normal, healthy weights and overall healthy lifestyles had kids who showed the same results. They concluded that the findings were a result of these families living a holistic healthy lifestyle together.

Getting healthy should be a family affair. Parents shouldn't single out overweight children and tell them they are too heavy and need to change their ways; the entire family should work at eating better and being more physically active.

For more information, contact Dr. Wendy at [email protected].