Getting Fit, Bit by Bit

Small Changes Pay Off Big for Family Health

Don't tell kids they need to exercise. Instead, plan fun family activities like walking, cycling or playing sports together.

By Christina Elston

Something has to change. One-third of American children are obese or at risk of becoming obese, according to federal health officials. These kids are in danger of developing diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, cancer and a host of other health problems. And things will only get worse unless families do something.

But what should we do? The words "diet" and "exercise" sound more like difficult, unpleasant chores than upbeat, healthy changes that kids and adults will enjoy. Just where do we begin, and how do we stick with it?

The answer lies in making small improvements, a little at a time, and in changing the way we look at and respond to our children's lifestyles.

Change Your Focus

Start by viewing diet and exercise in a more serious light.

  • "Nutrition and activity decisions are really health decisions," says Sandra G. Hassink, M.D., editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics' A Parent's Guide to Childhood Obesity. Putting these issues in the "health realm" will give you the proper perspective.
     
  • Now, stop counting calories and look at the big picture. When feeding your family, focus on healthier food, rather than fewer calories.
     
  • "Basically, people want to eat until they feel satisfied," says David Katz, M.D., director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. "If you improve your food choices, it will take fewer calories to feel satisfied."
     
  • Offer more fiber, fresh fruit and vegetables; cut back on processed, sugary or fatty food. This way, your meals will be more filling but without the excess calories from sugars and fats.
     
  • Emphasize healthy activity over burning calories. "Exercise isn't really about burning excess calories," says Robert Lustig, M.D., director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) program at the University of California - San Francisco. "After all, you have to jog for 20 minutes to burn off two chocolate chip cookies."

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