Preventing Heart Disease with Your Children

 Your children depend on you for everything.  This includes helping them to be healthy and protect their heart. How can you ensure that your children have a healthy heart?  Get started with these three steps.

1. Get them checked - You need to check out your heart, but make sure you get your children’s hearts checked too. Childhood obesity is a problem in the US, but for dads of younger children, picky eaters can be, too.  Your child’s doctor will have good suggestions on addressing your child’s unique needs. Ask questions at their doctor’s visits and figure out a plan for what your child needs to be healthy.
2. Get Active - Part of being a dad often entails getting out and playing with your kids.  Starting when your kids are small, designate one day a week that you take a family walk.  As your kids get older, go out and help them ride their bikes or participate in their favorite sport.  To encourage this, limit TV or computer time early on and make getting outside a part of your weekly routine.  The younger they are when they develop good habits, the better off they will be.  
3. Model good eating habits - Children watch everything you do.  This includes what you eat.  If they see you pass on the fruits and vegetable at dinner, they will too. Start meals off right and put these items on your plate first.  They will be more likely to follow suit.

See more about the It Takes Heart To Be A Dad Campaign at www.fatherhood.org/ittakesheart.