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Jim Williams HealthKey.com contributor

January 13, 2010
No doubt about it, the cost of health care in this country is staggering. The United States spends more than $2.2 trillion on health care each year, which equates to almost $8,000 per person. That number represents approximately 16 percent of the total economy and is growing rapidly. And if we don't start making some changes in how we live, by 2017, almost 20 percent of the economy -- more than $4 trillion--will be spent on health care.

Healthcare reform starts at a very grassroots level: with you, in your home, with your family, teaching healthy habits and traditions.

Here are some general guidelines for changing the culture in your family in 2010:

Healthy Eating

The key to a healthy diet is no veiled secret. It's a simple matter of developing healthy eating habits that you carry through your life, which include:

  • Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products.
  • Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products.
  • Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein.
  • Serve reasonably sized portions.
  • Encourage your family to drink lots of water.
  • Limit sugar-sweetened beverages.
  • Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat.
Staying Active

Your family, especially children and teens, should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity preferably daily. Remember that children imitate adults. Start adding physical activity to your own daily routine and encourage your child to join you.

Exercise examples include:

  • Brisk walking
  • Playing tag
  • Jumping rope
  • Playing soccer
  • Swimming
  • Dancing
Turning Off the TV & Video Games

In addition to encouraging physical activity, families should avoid too much sedentary time. Although quiet time for reading and homework is fine, limit the time your children watch television, play video games, or surf the web to no more than 2 hours per day. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend television viewing for children age 2 or younger. Instead, encourage your children to find fun activities to do with family members, or on their own, which simply involve more activity.

Encouraging Personal Exploration

Why not, as a family, start studying a new language or each family member learn how to play a musical instrument? How much fun would it be to be to have a family band! Try to make time for reading and family discussion. Encourage hobbies and artistic development.

All of these ideas are based in changing a culture and an attitude. The sooner you change the circle of bad habits the better off you and your family will be, physically and financially. It's all about change: make it happen in 2010. If not for yourself, do it for the future well being of your kids.