Youth Health Secret: Mom and Dad DO Matter Most

Just when you thought that you were going to need to put together the "Dream Team" of Lil Wayne, Miley Cyrus, and LeBron James to have on hand whenever you needed to capture the attention of your teen or tween, surprise!, new data comes out to debunk a previously held urban myth.

Findings from a survey fielded last year by LIVESTRONG.COM reveal that a majority (67 percent) of young Americans, ages eight to 18, report that their parents or other family members have the most influences over the choices they make regarding their overall health. Similarly, two-thirds of the respondents also indicated that their parents or other family members influence their food choices a great deal or a lot. The survey, commissioned by LIVESTRONG.COM, fielded by Harris Interactive, demonstrates that today’s youth are concerned about health-related factors and look to their family for guidance.

But when was the last time you remember your "tween" or teen saying, "Dad, when I grow up, I want to skip breakfast, eat fast food for lunch, and order take out for dinner just like you?" or "Hey Mom, doesn’t diabetes and hypertension run in our family; should we be keeping this much chips and soda in the house?" Well, here’s the newsflash: your daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, cousins, and grandchildren may not be saying it aloud, but the health choices you make daily are resonating loud and clear and they’re affecting your children on the inside…literally. Survey findings indicated that nearly nine out of ten (86 percent) youth are more concerned with their parent’s health than any other health issue.

In some cases teens do look to at athletes, celebrities and entertainers as health and fitness role models. However, the reality is that the majority of young people are paying attention to the calorie intake, meal choices, activity levels and an overall outlook on health of their family.

Now that you’re equipped with the latest info, think back to what you ate this past week. How many times did you eat fast food and what were your portion sizes like? Consider your fitness and overall activity levels. Did you exercise at all over these past few days? Did you put off that walk again or push through your post-work fatigue and get moving? If you're diabetic, have heart disease or a sports injury, think about how much time you spent managing your health. Pay attention to your own numbers and then think about what you might do differently if you knew you had a rapt audience.

Maybe what you’d do is start to keep a food diary. Experts agree that one of the best ways to lose weight is through keeping a food journal. You could make it a family affair using a tool like TheDailyPlate which allows you to keep track of what you eat, determine your nutritional goals, and log your physical activity on a daily basis. If you remember that your children are watching your health moves, maybe you’d think twice about ordering the extra-large, triple burger combo from the drive-through. You might even encourage your family to Dare to make a healthy difference in their lives and ask them to come up with incentives and rewards for achieving their health and fitness goals.

The bottom line is that your choices around your own health are being noted by your children; to the point that they’re actually more worried about your health than their own. So stop preaching and start teaching by actually doing. Go one step further and actively engage your kids in the process of being healthy together. The family that eats well and takes care of themselves will live longer, healthier and happier lives.