As one Joseph Hall said many years ago, “Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues” (Christian Moderation, 1640).

Sustainability is frequently overlooked by those making lifestyle changes. The key to sustainability is moderation, which makes it easy to sustain a healthy eating lifestyle because your kids won’t be deprived of things they like. They will simply learn not to overindulge in them.

Moderation needs to be applied to both your children’s eating habits and their activity levels. Moderation in eating means eating a variety of foods and eating them in the right quantities. Eating a few foods to the exclusion of the myriad food choices available makes it harder for kids to get the nutrients they need for growth and development. Eating too much of any food, whether broccoli or chocolate cake, is also not a great idea. Limit serving sizes and make your kids wait twenty minutes before offering a second helping. This will give them time to become full.

Ideally your children should be exercising thirty to sixty minutes a day at least three times a week. Whether that exercise comes in the form of participating in an organized sport or simply running around the yard or biking the neighborhood with friends doesn’t matter. Getting less exercise than this is clearly detrimental to their future cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. However, what about the other extreme? Too much exercise can lead to dehydration, heat stroke, electrolyte imbalances, seizures, and even death. Even before these extremes are reached, muscle and bone injuries occur during prolonged exercise, and muscle breakdown occurs after one and a half to two hours of intense exertion.

If you encourage moderation when it comes to a regimen of physical activity and eating, you will ensure that your kids are able to sustain their habits throughout their lives, maximizing the health benefits of an active lifestyle while minimizing the complications of being overactive.

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