Early Bird Catches the Worm

Inspiring kids for a healthier tomorrow by making healthy habits a child's play.

Ever wondered how you often recall episodes from your childhood much more vividly than something you’ve encountered recently? Our minds seem to retain what we absorb during our early years with a lot more ease. In fact, evidence shows that kids’ brains are better equipped to process and store new information. This is perhaps why learning is so much easier when we are young. Just as academic knowledge can be grasped better by young minds, the importance of health and healthcare, too, may be imbibed better if it is taught to us at a young age, when the potential to learn is at its highest. In addition, habits developed early have a lasting effect on our lifestyle later in life.

Children also have an innate curiosity, and a natural tendency to pick up habits from the adults they grow up with. Early learning sets the foundation for their understanding of the world. And so, it is vital that we encourage open conversations about healthcare for the next generation. Children today are facing questions about diseases and treatments that past generations didn’t have to address until later in life. Building health literacy from an early age is key to empowering them with the knowledge and skills to manage their wellbeing. Health education initiatives that urge kids to develop healthy habits early in their life can play an important role in achieving this. 

Navigating the Path to Health

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) affect almost every family, and account for almost 61% of all mortality in the country. There is a need to find newer ways to outsmart chronic conditions and create a healthier future by working with communities and organizations alike. Integrating engaging lessons about chronic illnesses into the curriculum can help kids gain a scientific understanding of conditions like heart disease and diabetes – what they are, their potential causes, and lifestyle choices and habits that can reduce their risk. Students learn to analyze how factors in their surroundings relate to non-communicable diseases like heart disease and diabetes. They can participate in interactive modules aimed at underlining the role of a balanced diet in managing health, receive handy guides, and engage in activities that further build an understanding of healthy habits like physical exercise and how it links directly to well being.

Abbott volunteers help teach kids aged 10-13 to take charge of their health by developing lifelong healthy habits, connecting adolescence to adulthood, and educating them on chronic conditions like Type - 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. When health literacy takes root across generations, it becomes easier for everyone to make choices that prevent chronic conditions down the road.

At home, family-based activities can reinforce learning in engaging ways. Health literacy can come alive through simple, creative at-home activities. Practicing hands-on cooking challenges focused on building nutritious meals is another way to pique children's curiosity. These types of experiential learning opportunities enable kids to gain knowledge and perspective about health in an engaging way. Whether  discovering new healthy recipes or making learning interactive and fun is key to evoking children's innate curiosity and interest through creative activities, thereby helping caregivers to plant the seeds for good health early on.

Comprehensive health education programs focused on practical knowledge provide the next generation with tools for lifelong wellbeing. By integrating engaging lessons on diseases and their prevention across schools and homes, we make growing up easy, reducing the likelihood of the occurrence of health issues. It sets the stage for healthier societies ahead. Our youth become catalysts to break cycles of chronic illness, for a healthier, brighter tomorrow.

Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.