Why Habits Matter to Well-Being

Habits are the foundation of health and well-being. They are also a central part of a person’s identity. As Aristotle tells us, “We are what we repeatedly do.”

Four habits, often established in childhood, can improve your family’s chances of living a long and healthy life.

Healthy eating • Regular exercise • Appropriate alcohol use • No tobacco

Chronic illness is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure cause 70% of deaths each year. Multiple research studies show that much of this illness and death is preventable by small changes in daily habits.

Childhood is the best time to establish a foundation of healthy behaviors. Although chronic disease affects many more adults than children, laying the foundation now makes a big difference in the future. And chronic illness is on the rise even among children –- obesity, type 2 diabetes, asthma, and other conditions affect as many as 1 in 5 young people in the US.

The good news is that small changes can make a big difference. The UCLA Family Commons offers family coaching and parenting workshops to help you incorporate new habits and routines into your daily life and sustain them over time.

The time to start is now.

Healthy Eating
Healthy eating has two parts: eating enough of the foods that promote good health and not eating too much of the foods that contribute to obesity and chronic disease. For most families, increasing the amount of healthy foods in your diet is the easiest place to start:

  • Eat at least 5 servings a day of different fruits and vegetables.

  • Eat whole grain foods, rather than refined grains, as much as possible.

You’ll also want to be careful about how much you eat of other foods:

  • Limit fried foods, fatty meats, and other foods high in saturated fats.

  • Limit sodas, candy, and other foods high in sugar or corn syrup.

  • Watch portion sizes, to be sure you’re not eating more than your body needs.

Don’t expect to change the way your family eats all at once, and don’t worry about being perfect. It’s all a matter of degree. The habits and attitudes about food that your children absorb when they’re young will influence how they eat for the rest of their lives.

Regular Exercise
Exercise is routinely recommended to help prevent obesity and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure. It’s also been shown to help your brain function better.

Children who are physically fit do better in school. A recent study showed significantly improved cognitive performance in youngsters who jogged for 30 minutes twice a week. When they stopped jogging, their scores dropped to what they had been before.

How much exercise do you need? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control provide this “gold standard” for children:

  • 60 minutes or more of mostly aerobic activity each day.

  • Vigorous activity, muscle strengthening and bone strengthening activities at least 3 days a week.

But every little bit helps! Twenty minutes is better than none, and 2 or 3 times a week is a lot more than zero. Start where you are, and find activities that you or your children enjoy.

The benefits are lifelong – aerobic exercise twice a week even lowers your risk of Alzheimer’s by 60%.

Appropriate Alcohol Use
Preventing alcohol abuse is one of the most important things you can do to keep children healthy. More young people in the U.S. use alcohol than tobacco or illicit drugs. Alcohol is associated with approximately 75,000 deaths per year, including 41% of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes.

Over the long run, misuse of alcohol is associated with liver disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological damage. It’s also correlated with psychiatric problems – depression, anxiety, antisocial personality disorder and others.

You can do a lot to keep your children from abusing alcohol:

  • Maintain a warm and supportive relationship. Children who have positive relationships and open communication with their parents are less likely to abuse alcohol.

  • Tell children your attitudes, beliefs and expectations. They’re more likely to abide by your wishes if you’ve been very clear.

  • Help children develop their positive interests and skills. Give them lots of opportunities to engage in meaningful activities.

And of course, children are less likely to abuse alcohol if they don’t see their parents drinking to excess.

No Tobacco
Childhood is the time to prevent tobacco use. Six percent of all middle school students currently smoke cigarettes, as do 20% of high school students. Studies show that almost one-third of youth smokers will continue smoking and die early from a smoking-related disease. As many as 4,000 children will try smoking for the first time today.

We know you don’t want your child to be one of these statistics. While tobacco use among students has been decreasing since 1997, it’s still important to talk early and often with children about the risks of smoking. You can also make a big difference by not smoking yourself.

Start Small
With all four of these key habits – healthy eating, regular exercise, not using tobacco and using alcohol appropriately – it’s important to remember that you don’t have to change your whole life at once. Start with something that feels manageable to you, and change one behavior at a time. Repeat until it becomes a habit. Then see what other small change your family might make to create a healthier lifestyle.