Grow Up Well Nourished -- Establish Healthy Eating Habits
The eating patterns and food preferences your child forms when he's young will have many long-term effects. What and how he regularly eats impact the development of his body and mind.
You can help pave the way for a lifetime of better moods and better health by exposing your child to a healthy mix of foods and by helping him develop an appreciation for planning, preparing, and eating a range of tastes. By eating at a table where balance, variety, and moderation are part of the daily menu, he's more likely to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle for years to come.
Plus, establishing healthy eating habits can reduce his risk of several life-threatening health conditions, including:
- Obesity
- Coronary heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Stroke
- Cancer
- Osteoporosis
RealAge Projection: If kids get into the habit of enjoying a wide range of foods, they're likely to maintain this eating style as adults. And by sticking with this diverse diet as adults, they could look and feel as much as 4 years younger at age 40.
On the other hand, having poor eating habits as a child often leads to having bad eating habits as an adult. And eating patterns are particularly hard to break. Over time, an unhealthy diet can lead to clogged arteries, weakened bones, and high blood pressure.
