More important than your health

Without our health, we become focused just on ourselves and on getting back to normal. So how can anything be more important than our health?

I admit this doesn’t apply to all, but most parents would unhesitatingly switch places when their child is suffering from an illness. So, the answer is the health of our children is more important. Not just our biological children, but all children. They’re going to lead the world. We need them to be healthy mentally, physically and emotionally.

Remember when diabetes was either present at birth (type 1) or was called adult-onset diabetes, which was diagnosed primarily due to the lifestyle conditions of obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet (sugary drinks, processed foods, fats…). What happened to adult-onset diabetes? It’s now called type 2 diabetes. Why did that change? Because our children were becoming diabetics. A lot of them.

This isn’t about diabetes though; this is about all the health conditions our children face. While we think of some things as adult issues, we now can test for and know that high blood pressure, high cholesterol and, of course, obesity can start in childhood. The result is the increased risk of heart disease which is still the leading cause of death in the U.S.

The mother’s health during pregnancy is also of great importance, and the path to that is the same for everyone: be physically active, eat healthy foods, reduce body fat, get enough sleep and know how to relax. Being obese before or during pregnancy increases the newborn’s risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke during adulthood. A healthy mother results in a healthier child. No surprise there.

Healthy parent lifestyles set the example for our children. If this information, for some of my readers, needs to be passed along to your adult sons and daughters, please share this paper with them for your grandchildren’s health.

First, encourage a more active lifestyle. Sports come to mind as representing more physical and mental activity, along with socialization, competition and cooperation among children of all backgrounds. It is difficult to overrate the value of sports in a healthy life.

While I understand all children may not have the physical capacity to be involved in sports, most can find ways to be more active. There are countless opportunities to do that and something as simple as riding a bicycle is within the reach of most children.

Parents who take the time to eat healthy meals and maintain healthy body weight set an example that’s going to result in healthier children. Next time you’re out and about, notice the children of obese parents. Yep, I said that. I’m not writing this to give excuses or make everyone feel good. The fact is no matter what we say to our children about anything, they respond to what we do and the example we set far more. And that’s the way it should be.

And if you’re not sure, with all the confusing information, about what healthy consumption is, I’ll give you two directions: 1) STOP eating and drinking everything you already know isn’t healthy. 2) Do some homework on the subject. If you’re reading this you can find all you need to know to continue to improve. For yourself and more importantly, for your children who are dependent on you.

We all want our children/grandchildren and the children of others to be healthy and able to lead the next generations. That has relevance beyond our individual health spans and beyond our life spans. So, if you’ve not been able to jump-start healthy behaviors for your own well-being, maybe you can start by setting a better example for the children who look to us for direction.