Research

Why HealthStart Starts Young

The habits and preferences that children develop in their formative years can stay with them for life. HealthStart believes that investing in early health education is crucial to building the foundation for a lifetime of wellness. Studies show that children who are obese at age 8 carry a 38% chance of becoming an obese adult. At age 14, that risk escalates to 80%. From preschool on, the higher the BMI and the longer it persists, the greater the chances for obesity in adulthood. Early intervention in the form of childhood health education helps to stop the trend. Well-designed early childhood programs have been proven to support future educational success as well as improved physical and mental health.

Our Health Education for Youngsters (HEY!) curriculum builds on these principles by giving students a specific, science-based understanding of their bodies, their communities and their place in the world. By starting young, we lay the foundation for children to both make and advocate for healthy choices so that they can be healthy for life.

Research

Supporting Long Term Success
  • Good health unequivocally supports success in school, which results in higher education attainment, higher income and better overall health.

  • Studies show that health-related interventions at the early ages have the largest impact. By contrast, changing behaviors in adults can be extremely difficult.

  • Scientists are discovering that many adult diseases have their roots in behaviors and experiences in early childhood.

  • Taste preferences are largely formed by age 5, making it imperative that a liking for nourishing, healthy foods be established right from the start.

  • Exposures to a positive, nonjudgmental approach regarding food work best. This is why HealthStart takes a food-neutral approach that focusing on which foods best nourish which body systems.
The Power of Children
  • Children can influence their families’ habits and purchasing decisions. In fact, studies indicate that children influence up to 50% of a family’s grocery purchases.

  • Children can make a positive impact on their parents’ health as well. A pilot program that taught young children the importance of a healthy lifestyle led to improvements in their parents’ overall health. A recent public service campaign in the United Kingdom demonstrated this mechanism in action when it depicted young children asking their parents to stop smoking because it would hurt them.

Supported, Effective Teachers
  • Young children are natural scientists, brimming with questions about themselves and the world around them. This natural curiosity, if nurtured properly in the early years, can translate to significant academic advantages – particularly in STEM fields – later in life.