Monkey See, Monkey Do: Parents as Healthy Role Models

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH

Originally published November/December 2009, Parent & Family

My son became a sports fan shortly after his birth.  Born October first, Campbell began watching football with his father the week he came home from the hospital.  The following spring he became a citizen of “Red Sox Nation.” Sixteen years later, Campbell and his father speak a language I only vaguely understand: it includes phrases such as “dropped passes” and the “infield fly rule.” My husband is one of my son’s most important role models.  Most parents enjoy the same privilege.

Consider this:

--children have twice the risk of becoming habitual smokers by the time they graduate from high school if one or both parents smoke
--girls are ten times more likely to be obese if their mothers are obese; boys are six times more likely to be obese if their fathers are obese
--children who have more physically active parents are statistically more likely to be active themselves.