How Grandparents Can Help Their Grandkids Reduce Cancer Risk
If you’re a grandparent, chances are that you love your grandkids to bits and want to spend as much time with them as possible. And let’s be honest, you probably want to spoil them a little. That’s totally understandable, but according to a new study, it’s important that you keep your grandchildren’s health top of mind first and foremost. As it turns out, you play a much more crucial role than you might think.
According to a new systematic review published in PLOS ONE, a lot of common grandparents’ behaviors are actually pretty bad for their grandchildren’s health. These behaviors include: feeding their grandchildren too much food, offering them food that isn’t good for them, and allowing them to watch too much TV or other mobile screens. Sound familiar to anyone?
This isn’t to say that you need to buy matching treadmills for you and your grandkid to run on. And no one is telling you to stop giving your grandchild the occasional freshly baked cookie. But it is vitally important that you model healthy behaviors for your grandchild to follow, especially if you see them often. Because guess what? Adopting these healthy habits could possibly help them reduce their risk of cancer later on.
How Grandparents Can Help Grandkids
Inspire them to move more. Everyone can benefit from a nice walk. Even if it’s just for a few blocks in the neighborhood, a little bit is a whole lot better than nothing.
Encourage them to eat until they’re satisfied, not until they’re stuffed. Did you know it sometimes takes the brain 15 minutes before it realizes the stomach is full? All the more reason to chew slowly with them. Really savor every bite!
Make sweet treats a special occasional thing, especially if you see them often. After all, if you give them sweets every time you see them, they’re not so special anymore, right?
If you really think about it, this is a golden opportunity for you to be the best grandparent you can be in a vital way. Your grandchild’s health depends on it!
See some of your favorite celeb grandparents with their adorable grandkids:
h/t Forbes
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