September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month so I thought I’d say a little something on behalf of the kids.  I’m going to take a break from my typical focus on adults to sound the trumpet for America’s youth.

I went to a conference a few years ago which had several talks about the burden of obesity and its associated medical complications on adults and children.  Even as a physician, I was shocked at the information that they gave about obesity among youngsters.

Childhood obesity rates have tripled in the US over the past thirty years.  Overall the childhood obesity rate is 17% for kids ages 2 to 19 years old.

This rate of obesity is leading to an increased incidence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes in children.  There were several pediatricians at the conference who stated that when they were in training twenty or thirty years ago, the idea of a child with a diagnosis of high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes was almost unheard of.

Now they have to be well-versed in the medications and management of these diseases because it has become so prevalent in the pediatric population.  Type 2 diabetes used to be referred to as adult-onset diabetes.  As a society, we have made that term obsolete.

I say all that to encourage everyone to establish healthy habits in the home.  Kids learn from watching adults.  If adults show that eating vegetables sans fatback can be enjoyable, it may be an easier sell for the children.

Also, women have a large influence on activities in the home and we should use it.  Most times, moms are the ones that determine what types of food are in the house and what types of leisure activities the family does.  Even on The Cosby Show, Cliff was the doctor but Claire was the one who had to keep his hoagie habit in check for the good of his health.

Some of you with thin kids may not think this applies to you.  Let me remind you of that skinny kid with whom you went to high school who was almost unrecognizable years after graduation due to weight gain.

That kid probably never implemented the necessary healthy lifestyle behaviors when metabolism was on his or her side.  Middle-age kicked in and things weren’t pretty.  Don’t let your kid be that guy.

Teach your children about appropriate portion sizes.  Set the precedent of moderation by letting them know from jump that there is no way you are actually going to allow them to ingest all of their Halloween candy. 

Explain to them that fruit can be dessert just as well as ice cream.  Wean them, and you, off soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.  Go outside and play with them.  Go for a walk after dinner.  Turn off the television.  Put on some music and have a family dance party.   They’ll be healthier and you’ll be healthier.

Even though I don’t have kids, I still see it as my responsibility to model healthy behaviors for my nephews.  By now, they know I am more likely to bring a fruit salad than a cake to a family gathering.

I’ll go running with them and play catch.  As appalling as it is to them, they have come to accept that I don’t have cable television or a single gaming system because I spend most of my leisure time away from screens.

I encourage family wellness activities because I recognize the huge impact of family on wellness.  As adults, how healthy the children in our lives are affects our well-being.  By the same token, we have to maintain our own wellness in order to be capable of looking out for theirs.

What wellness habits are you instilling in your kids?  How does your family spend time together?

If you struggle finding time for both family and wellness, please click here to request an Essence of Strength sample coaching conversation.