A Family Affair: Resolve to Be FIT

The family that practices good health together gets healthy together. by Sarah McCoy

Sandy Lieto witnessed the lifesaving gether emotionally and challenged them It starts with the family meals and power of a family when her 17-year-old physically. That’s a very important de- continues with family activities. son, Nick, needed help. terminant of longevity and good health,” “At Nick’s checkup, his weight was out says Dr. Mehmet Oz, cardiac surgeon and What’s on the Menu? of control. We tried everything and noth- founder of the New York-based nonprofi t What a family eats can be just as im- ing seemed to have lasting results,” Lieto HealthCorps, which educates youth and portant as how it eats, suggests Cristina explains. It was then that she enrolled in families to live healthy lives. Caro, RD, program coordinator with MPOWER, an intensive family-focused According to Oz, who frequently ap- Healthy Lifestyle at Children’s Healthcare weight management program at the Uni- pears on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Amer- in Atlanta. versity of Michigan. icans need to be healthier, and the coun- “Kids eating burgers in the back of min- “We’ve changed the way we eat, try’s health renewal depends upon families ivans on their way to after-school activities the way we shop. Everyone in the fam- making commitments to be fi t. “Our goal is normal today. You trade one problem for ily was on board—fi ve sons, a grandma is to get one kid in a family to understand another. Kids are physically active, but not and grandchildren to boot! Nick is doing what healthy food and exercise is about. eating correctly,” she explains. Making time great, has lost 34 pounds and is still going Once one kid gets the story, it becomes to plan meals and eat healthier foods, even strong,” Lieto says. cool because knowledge is power, and the on those busy days, helps improve poor di- Losing weight, shaping up and getting rest of the family follows,” Oz says. “Our ets. “Parents need to plan a sit-down meal healthy is often presented as a solitary ex- program has grown rapidly and many in together. It doesn’t have to be every night ercise, but history tells a different tale and government say it’s good politics and pol- but at least once or twice a week.” evidence shows that when family mem- icy, and better yet, it’s working.” Oz agrees that the most important as- bers work together on a common cause But while Oz acknowledges the role pect of eating right is eating together. He the chances of success rise. government offi cials play in the health re- believes that eating a good breakfast to- “If you look at societies in other coun- newal, he stresses that success will come gether can go a long way toward better tries, families do athletic things together. from average Americans. “It’s not going to health, and keeping healthy snacks like They go hiking or up into the mountains happen in Washington. It’s going to hap- nuts and fruits easily accessible the rest of to chop wood or plant fi elds. Things our pen because families become proactive,” the day will also help. ancestors did naturally brought them to- he says. “When the families make changes

January 2009 together versus one overweight individual, Many people believe exercise is differ- that’s going to facilitate permanent changes ent for adults and children, but Robert de- versus temporary,” Caro says. “What you bunks the myth saying the only difference do is more powerful than what you say.” is the amount of exercise. Adults should aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, while Let’s Get Physical children need 60. To lose weight, adults Sitting in the stands watching your child need 60 minutes and kids 90. play soccer shows support, but that seden- A few simple ideas to get everyone ex- tary lifestyle does not project a healthy role ercising together include: Build walking model. Get moving and lead by example. into your family’s day by parking the car Chrissy Robert, MS, the MPOWER in the farthest spot from the door; take Program’s head exercise physiologist, the stairs; walk the dog; limit sedentary also sees over scheduling as a primary activities such as watching TV; plan an impediment to family exercise time. outdoor family sport night or go to the SNAP! As a countermeasure, she recommends local YMCA on rainy days. families be ready for anything when free The Lietos are living proof that a fam- The Job’s a Game time becomes available. “Pack a box in ily committed to being healthy together is Fitness experts and moms can the trunk that holds balls, baseball mitts, the best way to lasting success. “What we attest that getting kids to eat a bal- a Frisbee, (and) running shoes to take have learned as a family will stay with us anced meal—never mind their Brus- wherever the family goes,” Robert says. for a lifetime,” Lieto says. sels sprouts—is quite a feat. Cristina Caro, RD, program coor- dinator with Healthy Lifestyle at Chil- dren’s Healthcare in Atlanta, sug- The National Fitness REVOLUTION gests making a family game out of eating right. “We encourage eating Family-oriented health programs have sprung up around the country, providing the rainbow—M&Ms don’t count,” families with the medical guidance, education and goals for long-term success. she says. There are fi ve major fruit HealthCorps was founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz, cardiac surgeon, best-selling author and vegetable color groups: green, and health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The organization’s mission is to tackle red, orange, yellow and blue/ childhood obesity through school-based health education, community events and out- purple/black. The way to play is by reach to under served populations. eating all fi ve colors in a week. It HealthCorps’ coordinators are recent college graduates who deferred medical doesn’t have to be at the same meal school or graduate health program studies to participate in public service, to empower or on the same day. teens to become educated consumers and health activists. The national program is sup- “Kids love it! They’ll come home ported by public and private funds. and say, ‘Mom, I had yellow and Other programs are sponsored by local hospitals or health care providers such as orange for lunch today!’ And Mom MPOWER at the University of Michigan and Healthy Lifestyle at Children’s Healthcare in can say, ‘Oh good, because we’re Atlanta. These help kids and families improve their health through lifestyle changes and having green for dinner.’ It keeps medical care. They include a multidisciplinary team of health care providers: pediatri- everybody on the same page and cians, psychologists, social workers, focused on what you can have, not registered dietitians and exercise what you can’t,” Caro says. physiologists. Another idea is to have a themed To locate a HealthCorps meal once a week. “When Pirates program near you, visit of the Caribbean came out, all my healthcorps.org. For more in- kids wanted to be pirates,” Caro formation on MPOWER, visit explains. “For dinner, we ate foods med.umich.edu/MPOWER. For a pirate would eat and watched the Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta, movie afterward. It was the perfect visit choa.org. opportunity to have a healthy, fun meal together.”

January 2009