Posted: 01/12/09
Parents understand a healthy lifestyle helps children avoid gaining weight and getting sick with a variety of illnesses and lifestyle-based. But according to a recent study, children over age 11 also need to learn the benefits in order to effectively adopt a healthy lifestyle. The study was directed at parents of overweight children and found that providing parents the tools for healthy living was sufficient in getting a child under age 11 to adopt a healthier lifestyle. However, children over age 11 fared better in a family-based healthy living program where they were able to learn the benefits first-hand.
The study provided participants in four rural counties with sessions on nutrition, gardening, livestock and farming information through the Cooperative Extension Service. The family-based program provided separate parent/child directed encouragement to decrease high-fat and high-sugar foods, increase vegetable and fruit intake, and increase physical activity - which in turn leads to a healthier body, less illnesses and a greatly decreased need for major medical health insurance.
After ten months, children over 11 years showed a 50 percent greater decrease in weight with the family-based program than the parent-only program.
Related Links
Medline Plus: Parent training can help kids to slim down
