How to keep your family healthy - Brief Article

Kimberly Davis

KEEPING your family spiritually, emotionally, academically and physically healthy is a year-round, often lifelong proposition. But it takes on even more meaning during the months when the children are out of school, the weather heats up and the "lazy" days of summer roll in.

Never, in fact, has it been more important to protect your physical health as well as the health of your children. Recent studies show that obesity rates among Black children and adolescents have nearly doubled in the last 20 years. It's estimated now that one out of seven children aged 6 to 19 is overweight or obese, which is defined as 20 percent over your maximum desirable body weight.

One solution, experts say, is for children to become more active. And the best way for parents to help with that is to get active with them.

"The family should work out together at least two times a week and exercise consistently," says Reggie Bryant, a personal trainer at Fitness Image Inc. Training Center in downtown Chicago. "And children can build on that for the rest of their lives."

Food experts say that parents hold the key to good health and nutrition. It's important, they say, for the spiritual and physical health of Black families to plan and share family meals. It's also important, specialists say, for families to avoid overreliance on fast-food outlets.

"The things that we choose to eat--collard greens, sweet potatoes and the like--are healthy, but it's the extra fats and sodium that we add to those foods that aren't so healthy," says Sharon Cox of Dallas, president of the National Organization of Blacks in Dietetics and Nutrition. "And we don't move enough to burn up the calories that we do consume."

Exercising and participating in activities as a family can also aid your family's spiritual and emotional well-being, says Dr. Joe Bedford, associate professor of family practice and community medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "Anything that we can do together helps," he says. "Not just physically, but also emotionally."

The Butler family of Chicago's Beverly community engages in numerous family activities, such as game night, dance classes and just playing basketball in the driveway. They're also members of a roller coaster club that takes them to amusement parks across the world in search of the best coasters. Richard and Robin Butler say it's important for them to pass on their love for activity to their children.

"It was just a continuation of what we had done," say Richard, who works out four times a week. "We'd both been members of a health club and continued being physically active through raising the kids."

Their son, Richard IV, 15, is a member of his school's varsity water polo team and is an accomplished swimmer. Their daughters, Randyll, 8, Raiven, 10, and Rena, 13, are also swimmers. But what they really love to do is dance, whether it is ballet, jazz, modern or hip-hop. Their mother also takes dance classes.

"I just like expressing myself through dance," says Rena. "It helps keep me in shape and teaches me life lessons, too."

The support the family has for one another is a bonus, too. "My brother--he's an awesome water polo player," Rena says when asked about other activities the family does.

For the Butlers, being physically healthy isn't the only game in town. Richard says he and Robin want to make sure their children have a firm spiritual, educational and emotional foundation as well.

"Once you've achieved that," he says, "you can take that discipline and go with it anywhere."

RELATED ARTICLE: Tips for keeping your family healthy.

1. You and your child should visit the family doctor for routine checkups at least once a year, depending on your ages. Some insurance companies carry preventive health plans that will cover that service.

2. Turn off the TV, computer and video games. These sedentary activities burn very few calories and contribute greatly to inactivity. Experts suggest that for every hour you and your family spend doing these entertainment activities, you should also spend the same amount of time exercising or involved in some other physical activity.

3. Use the Internet, computer and television for educational purposes. Many computer programs and instructional videos are available to help you and your children with study, work and play. Monitor your child's computer and Internet use. Make sure he or she is not receiving inappropriate images or messages via the computer.

4. Get moving. Spend family time exercising at least twice a week, says personal trainer Reggie Bryant. Before beginning any exercise routine with your family, consult a physician, personal trainer and nutritionist to define and round out your idea of what is being physically fit. Most gyms will allow children access when accompanied by an adult, but not all exercises are appropriate for children.

5. Eat meals at home together. Statistics show that the family that eats healthfully--consuming colorful fruits and vegetables, lean meats and foods low in sugar, fat and salt--does so by eating healthful, home-cooked meals together. Controlling your own ingredients rather than relying on fast food makes it easier to eat healthfully.

6. Set a good example by eating properly. Children most often mimic the eating habits of adults in the household. Put yourself and your child on the right track by eating healthful foods. Keep healthful foods in the house and monitor your child's eating habits in and out of school. Keep foods that are high in fiber and low in fat and sugar.

7. If you and your family eat out, make the right choices. Avoid super-sized meals high in saturated fats and low in protein and fiber. Many fast-food and restaurant menus offer "heart-healthy" choices at regular-sized portions. Don't be afraid to ask for a take-home box if the portions are too large.

8. You and each family member should drink at least 8 glasses of water each per day.

9. Find an outdoor activity, such as tennis, basketball, gardening or yard work that the family can do together. The family that plays together often stays together.

10. Know your family's medical history. Both sides of the family history are essential to keeping abreast of any potential illnesses or conditions. That information can lead to early screening and better treatment opportunities for the health issue.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Johnson Publishing Co.
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