"Discovering Healthy Families"

I know I talk about obesity a good bit, but like I've stated previously, bariatrics is what I'm really passionate about.  There was a recent article from the Journal of American Dietetics Association that takes about the establishment of a child and parent program that will help instill good nutritional values and the important of exercising as a family.  This new program will take place at the Discovery Center, a kid-friendly place where kids can have fun learning new things.  This program will provide families with a friendly website to access resources to help families begin this program.  Some of the resources will provide ways to include physical activity in the families everyday activities and ways to incorporate nutritional foods in meals by providing healthy recipes.  The program will also provide the family with a health coach to help with lifestyle changes.  Finally, at the Discovery Center, there will be a kiosk available to engage the family with hands-on activities to make it fun to learn new information about  nutrition.

I think that this program that has recently been established will be wonderful for families, especially the larger ones.  It is so crucial that families do these things together so they can lean on each other.  Plus, parents are responsible for their children's health until they are old enough to make their own choices.  If parents are conscious of what they are putting in their child's body, then they could potentially be setting them up for health problems down the road.  It's also crucial for parents to get involved with in activities with their children.  I know as a child, I was more prone to wanted to go outside and play if my parents went outside and played with me.  Even taking a family walk would be a step in the right direction.

I feel that this program is something that Americans need, given how people's health is these days.  It's about time that we start making changes.