Fathers Pack on the Pounds

According to a large-scale study that tracked over 10,000 men over a twenty-year period, men who became fathers gained significantly more weight and had higher BMIs than men who didn’t during the same period.

Like Father, Like Daughter

Being out of shape doesn’t just potentially hurt you; it could affect your children as well. New research suggests that a father’s weight can influence a child’s health outcomes, which may explain why children of obese men are more likely to grow into obese children and adults themselves.

Follow the Leader

But don’t worry — setting a positive example around health and fitness is a lot simpler than it sounds.

While you don’t have to be perfect, you need to make a concerted effort to model healthy habits in front of your children, like working out at home, drinking more water, and cooking meals as a family. Ideally, you should involve them in the process. After all, educating your children about nutrition is great, but they aren’t going to magically crave salads if they’ve never seen you eating one. The same goes for exercising.