Dear Parent Advocate,

After my last child was born, it was a goal of mine to lose weight. I knew I needed consistency, and had tried many times. Yet, I failed to incorporate my children and husband into this new lifestyle, making it more challenging for myself. I got involved with the Healthy Children Healthy Futures through my child’s after-school program (LA’s BEST) in Los Angeles, California. Through this program, MetLife Foundation and Strang Cancer Prevention Center provided parents with training workshops that focused on healthy eating habits, label reading, and physical fitness for families. A Parent’s Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, featuring the 8 Habits of Healthy Kids^®, was provided in the parent training program and is a great tool for a parent to have. It is so easy to use. The parent training was an amazing opportunity. Seeing how a community can come together and discuss real issues that are affecting our children (like obesity and diabetes) was a rude awakening for a lot of us. This was a great opportunity for me to learn how to involve my family and others in this new lifestyle. Both my husband and I make healthier choices for our children, and have been trying to continue a healthy lifestyle by slowly trying new ventures, like hiking, swimming, and our most recent, making freshly made juices. Healthy Children Healthy Futures can help other parents understand the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for both children and adults. I have shared the Healthy Children Healthy Futures parent program material with many people including other parents, family, and friends. I was fortunate enough to share Healthy Children Healthy Futures information with a friend whose seven-year-old son was told he couldn’t play Pee Wee football unless he lost 15 pounds. Everyone got involved from mom, dad, and grandparents. By following the 8 Habits of Healthy Kids^®, Nicholas was able to play after two months. We were all so proud of him. Being able to see the success that comes out of just creating awareness has been a real life changing experience for me.

Sincerely,

Maria Cuevas
LA's BEST program
Los Angeles, California