Healthy habits for kids begins early

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The next next time you head to the freezer for some rocky road ice cream or you're about to grab that candy bar, consider the example you might be setting for your children.

Experts say teaching the value of healthy eating early to your kids is key.

"Kids will eat what we give them, so when we are feeding our kids we need to start by feeding them the healthy foods," said Dr. David Montgomery, a cardiologist at Piedmont Heart Institute.

When it comes to heart health, the sooner the better. That's according to researchers at Northwestern University's Fineburg school of medicine.

"You actually can develop coronary heart disease, plaque in the heart arteries as early as eight, nine, ten-years-old. Obesity, cholesterol, blood pressure, eating the wrong things, and then things like sedentary lifestyle, those are all very firm, hard fast risk-factors for heart disease," said Dr. Montgomery.

So what should parents do?

"Your kids are going to do what you do, they're not going to necessarily do what you say, so if they see you planning your meals around fruit and vegetables they'll be more apt to do that themselves," said Dr. Montgomery.

Make sure you get them up and moving as well. According  to the National Institutes of Health, kids need about an hour of physical activity every. And if parents join in, those healthy habits will be formed in no time.

What's Going Around

Local doctors have been treating patients for a variety of ailments this week including strep throat and respiratory infections. We've even had some people in our newsroom feeling a bit under the weather recently. From the flu to bronchitis, our newsroom has seen it all and chances are, your work place is no different.

Doctors are seeing a spike in congestion, severe coughing, and sinus infections this week.

Our CareSpots in Duval County say they're treating six to seven patients a day who are testing positive for the flu. Strep throat and Upper respiratory infections are also keeping their offices busy.

In Clay County at the CareSpot in Middleburg, the majority of their patients have had strep throat and sinus infections. The staff says that pollen is really making it difficult for people with allergies. Not only are they dealing with itchy watery eyes, they've had pain and pressure from all that congestion. Some of that has led to other infections which need a prescription.
In St. Johns County at CareSpot in St. Augustine nurses are seeing a spike in flu-like symptoms, strep throat, and allergies.

In Nassau County at the CareSpot in Yulee, nurses says it's unusual around this time but, the flu is still keeping a lot of people sick and at home.