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ARCHBOLD.ORG •
SPRING 2015
9
YOUR FAMILY ’S HEALTH
Findways to take it to heart
“I LOVE YOU.”
We all say it in our own way. But one way
to tell your whole family that you love them
is to help them take care of their hearts.
It’s a message that needs to be shared
early and often. Many of the risk factors for
heart disease—obesity, diabetes, high cho-
lesterol, high blood pressure and lack of
exercise—can start in childhood. Helping
young ones develop healthy habits early is
a loving investment in their future.
Teach by example
To encourage a healthy lifestyle in
others, begin with yourself, said James
S. Karas, MD, FACC, a cardiologist with
Cardiology Consultants of South Georgia.
“When kids see you exercising, eating
well, staying at a healthy weight and
managing your stress, they’ll be more
likely to follow in your footsteps,” he said.
“They’ll also listen and learn if you help
your spouse, parents or grandparents.
“And you can help your adult loved
ones by encouraging them to be active;
eat well; and know the things that affect
their heart health, such as their choles-
terol and blood pressure numbers.”
Do try this at home
To send out a clear I-cherish-your-heart
message in your family, consider taking
these steps:
Limit TV, computer use and video
games.
These are habits that can lead
to a sedentary lifestyle and excessive
snacking.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends no more than two hours
a day of total screen time for children
age two and older—and discourages TV
viewing altogether for children younger
than that.
Move together.
Kids need at least
one hour of physical activity a day. Play
hide-and-seek, take walks or ride bikes as
a family. Kids, parents and grandparents
can all join in.
Active chores—such as raking leaves
or shoveling snow—count too.
Eat meals together.
Sitting down as
a family discourages unhealthy snacking
and encourages good eating habits.
Cook together.
Kids and grown-ups
alike are more likely to eat meals they’ve
helped prepare or plan. Shopping and
cooking together also can be quality
family time. Make a game of comparing
food labels.
Know your family stats.
Ask health
care providers about monitoring indicators
of heart health—such as body mass index
(BMI), blood pressure, blood sugar and
cholesterol—for your family members.
Achieve together.
Brainstorm spe-
cific healthy goals, such as training for a
5K walk or playing outdoors for an hour
every day. Then work together to reach
your goals.
Celebrate good things.
But don’t
use candy or snacks as rewards—
find healthier ways to celebrate
successes.
Knowledge is power. Learn
more ways to keep you and
your family healthy. For
classes and events at our
facilities, see our calendar at
www.archbold.org/calendar .James S. Karas, MD, FACC
Cardiology Consultants
of South Georgia