Early Education Could be the Key to Long-Term Health

Last month USA Today published an article entitled, “Americans Die Younger than Others in Rich Nations.” The author listed several reasons as to why Americans have shorter life expectancy, such as poor childhood health, a high premature birth rate, a large amount of child poverty, injuries and homicides, and obesity. At the end of the article, early childhood education was cited to as a way to correct some of the issues that are causing high death rates in the U.S.

By investing early education, Americans will have high school success rates, and therefore, be better educated in the future. Those who are well-educated are less likely to make poor lifestyle choices such as using drugs, not wearing a seatbelt, or using a firearm in an act of violence. Improving early childhood education could help to reverse these trends through prevention.

Thomas McInerny, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics says, “It’s becoming increasingly clear that the first 1,000 days of life are critically important for children's development, and can determine the course of their life span from then on. Investing in children in the first three years of life provides higher returns, for improving their productivity as adults, compared to intervening later.”

Here are just a few things that you can do as an adult to make a difference in your children’s AND  the nation’s long-term health:

• Model good habits in your own life
• Encourage your kids to be active. Work on motor skills like eye-hand coordination.
• Make movement become a part of everyday life. Instead of watching TV every night, go for a walk or dance in the living room!
• Eat healthier and have your kids try new foods. People with varied diets have less risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.