How to Market a Healthy Lifestyle to Children?

by A. Brooks
Style and Focus Lifestyle PR

It's definitely not an easy task. With the new controversial cholesterol drug for kids being introduced, it's more important than ever for kids to live a healthier lifestyle.

First, you will have to start with the parents to inform them on ways to encourage and to incorporate healthy living on a daily basis. They have to set good examples for their kids, they can't tell a kid to exercise if they're sitting on the sofa watching TV and eating a big bag of chips. They need to see you exercising and eating healthy food for it to make a difference.

Second, the kids have to understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Their attitudes have to change as well as their awareness has to be raise before any action can be made. But It's has to become second nature to choose healthy food and to exercise. It also has to be fun so that eventually it's turns into a new healthy habit. Also, you want them not to become obsessed or too focused on their weight, you just want them to make good decisions.

Marketing a healthy lifestyle is more than just promoting veggies over french fries, because there are so many competing marketing directed at them (video games, fast food, snacks, etc) it's up to the parent's to make good decisions for them so that when they become teenagers they can make good decisions for themselves. Some might say if you promote health issues you might bankrupt the junk food industry. Not at all because I'm not saying kids can't eat chips and candy but just in moderation.

Six tips for a healthy lifestyle:

* Buy healthy snacks. The irony is it's cheaper to buy junk or unhealthy snacks compared to fruits and veggies but in the long run it'll cost you more with your kids health. Keep snacks small.

* Teach kids portion control. We have become accustomed to oversize portions and now need to choose the correct serving size to counteract the growing supersize waistlines.

* Limit fried and fast food to once a week.

* Encourage 30 min of exercise 3x a week. With more gym classes being cut from schools parents have to figure out a way to get their kids to exercise. To encourage exercise, rent or buy children fitness videos they range from dance, aerobics, kickboxing, yoga and much more.

* Prepare healthy meals. Let your children help select recipes and if possible to help with the prep time. Don't cut out dessert just make it a healthy option.

* Foster an active lifestyle. Set a TV limit to encourage kids to step away from the screen. If possible take the stairs versus the elevator, water over cola, walk or ride a bike to the local market over driving, etc. Play with your kids such as playing tag or jump rope and make a game out of doing household chores. Let kids help out in the garden with digging, raking, removing weed, etc. They will never realize they're even exercising.

This is just the begining because Style and Focus Lifestyle PR will post tips and information that parents can use to keep kids active.