The American Dietetic Association released their 2008 survey results and the trends were promising, indicating that an increasing number of Americans are more concerned about eating healthy and exercising.  The survey is done every year and asks a series of questions that will put you in one of three categories.  These categories represent people’s overall attitudes toward maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.  The three categories are:

• I’m Already Doing It:  These are people  who feel that maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise are very important; are concerned about diet, nutrition and overall fitness; and feel they are doing all they can to eat a healthy diet.

• I Know I Should: These are people who feel that maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise are very important, but may not have taken significant actions to do all they can to eat a healthy diet.

• Don’t Bother Me: People who do not feel diet and exercise are very important to them and are the least concerned with their overall nutrition and fitness.

The “Don’t Bother Me” category (this is not your category because you would not be reading my blog if it was!) was at 32% in 2002 and is now at 19% in 2008.  A significant drop!  This is the first time that this group is less than 1/3 of the population.  It was as high as 40% back in the mid 90’s.

So what category is your family in, have you taken the leap to “We are already doing it”  or  has your family not quite begun yet.  Remember, you do not have to change everything all at once.  Small changes add up to a healthier family.  Being healthy does not mean “Never, ever can you eat…(whatever that is for you), it really means just not all the time, some foods are great once in a while.

If you need a jump start on goals to set for your family, we have many goals and tracking sheets that are focused on just one healthy change at a time.  And please, keep it simple and keep it fun.  Be patient and reward small changes with fun family activities.

To read more about the report, click here.

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Lighten up today! It’s always best to exercise outdoors during daylight hours, but that can be tough – particularly at this time of year when days get shorter. If you exercise outdoors when it’s dark out, wear reflective materials to ensure that you and your family can be seen.

 A new study to be featured in the December 2008 American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that the higher the greenness (meaning grass, trees and vegetation) the lower the body mass index (BMI) was in children.  Children may be more active with this larger open spaces versus being confined to streets or sidewalks.The positive health effects of the green landscapes include

• improved cogntive functioning
• reduced attention deficit

We can’t change where we live but I think the message is;  kids need space to run around and be active.Maybe the very act of being in nature stimulates kids to play.  Not sure, but get those kids to the park and play frisbee, tag, blindman’s bluff, whatever your favorite family games are!  Have some fun!

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Want to improve you and your kids’ brains? Exercise your bodies. That’s right. Aerobic exercise isn’t just good for your heart, it’s good for your brain, too. So why not start your own Monday Mile Fun club? Grab those kids and maybe even some neighbors and circle the block a few times after dinner.

Resources:
Family Nutrition Tools -Nutriton and Fitness Goals Sheets

More Healthy Monday Tips

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Have more fun on Monday! Laughing, dancing and having a good time with your children is good for all of you – body and soul. So devote plenty of time to healthy activities that make you happy and build fun memories for your family.

October 8th is the national Walk to School Day.  The goal is to promote family fitness by encouraging safe walking and/or riding a bicycle to school year round.

Here is a CDC fact:  Only 15% of students walk to school.  40 years ago 42% walked to school.

We have to improve our family health through more exercise and healthy eating.   This is a good way to start incorporating more activity in your child’s habits.  Another good benefit is some gas savings and of course it is environment friendly!

You can register your school’s event or sign up to a resource person for your state.  Register for 2008, http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/

The organization Healthy Kids Challenge is promoting a  national celebration of dance as a healthy activity for the entire family.  Dance for Health™ is an event designed to raise healthy lifestyle awareness and get kids and adults moving through dance.

It is a national fundraising event where proceeds  will be used to support Healthy Kids Challenge initiatives in your community. 65% of the funds raised stay with your school or youth program to further healthy eating and physical activity efforts.

Just set your Dance for Health™ event anytime between October 3rd and October 25th, 2008. Here are all the details  for how to host a Dance for Health ™ event in your area.

I love to dance and think this is a great idea and a way to raise some funds that you can benefit directly from.

With the continued concern over the health of our children.  Many school districts are beginning to take action.  But my concern is that action is often tied up in “assessment”, “policy writing” and “lack of funding”.

So what can we as parents do.  Well, I think the first step is to find out what kind of physical activity program your child’s school offers.  We know they need an hour a day.  So how much are they getting of structured activity everyday?  every week?  We may not be able to wait for the schools to implement their policies and meetings to figure out when they will implement their new policies.  This could be too long and meanwhile, our  children are growing up.

You may have to find after school activities to get that daily hour in.  Of course there is sports, but sports is not the answer for all kids.  It is not always about competition, how about just plain old fun.  YMCAs are starting to offer after school exercise programs, families can be active together as well.

Check our our new Tips for Getting Active for some good suggestions, ideas and guidelines.

If you have a good way of keeping your family active, please share that with us!!

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

On vacation this week? Look for walking tours. Wherever you are, there’s bound to be an organized or self-guided tour. So hoof it to see the sites. There’s no telling what you may find. It’s the best way to discover those out-of-the-way shops, interesting architectural details, little-known museums, forgotten parks and hidden gardens

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Get wet! Celebrate summer this week by splashing around a pool, a pond, a lake, or the ocean. Swimming laps is a terrific cardiovascular workout. And using handheld aqua weights in the pool can really help firm and tone upper arms