Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 2, 1 February 2005 — Teaching our keiki family kuleana ean help prevent weight-related disease [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Teaching our keiki family kuleana ean help prevent weight-related disease

Diet-related diseases among children are now being recognized as a serious nahonal problem, with overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes being diagnosed in many children. In U.S. classrooms, one in every six children is overweight. Statistics among Hawaiian children are even worse, with one study suggesting a one in four ratio, placing the heahh of many Hawaiian children in serious jeopardy. Being overweight challenges and damages growing bodies in many ways. When developing joints of the hip, knees, ankles and feet are constantly stressed by weight, they are weakened, and arthritis ean develop. High blood pressure challenges youthful blood vessels and hearts. Diabetes causes early blindness, challenges many organs in the body, and is a major reason for dialysis in Hawai'i. A eouple of decades ago, these were considered health challenges of old age. Traditionally, the kuleana of parents and grandparents toward our keiki included assuring shelter, meals, basic clothing, safety and education, as well as comfort and nurturing. A new responsibility is helping children navigate these new health challenges and establish lifelong preventive heahh practices. And one of the most important lessons we ean offer is how important it is to avoid dietary excesses of fatty foods, such as fast food, fries and chips, as well as soda and sweetened fruit drinks. Another emeial lesson is establishing daily physical activity to bum

off calories, offsetting sedentary lifestyles. Hawaiian parents and grandparents face great societal change. Today, children have more freedoms than previous generations. In addition, the dominant society places youngsters in the central focus of family activities, whieh is different from Hawaiian cultural ways of the past. As a result, parents feel pressures related to accommodating the "wants" of children, such as eell phones, computer games, and faddish hairstyles, clothing and cars. Separating "needs" from "wants" is always a challenge, but children ean understand the difference. How do we teach this? We teach by example. Modeling is a traditional teaching method, so educate by being a positive adult role model. Start with establishing healthy family meals that assure lots

of vegetables (including taro and poi), fruit, lowfat protein and milk foods, and whole grain foods. Make sure that eating occurs only at mealtimes or as planned snacks. Replace soda and sweet drinks with milk and water at mealtimes. Daily exercise also needs to be a family commitment. Schools no longer provide adequate physical education and activity, so it is a family responsibility. Traditionally, Hawaiian children had kuleana that burned off extra calories. Cleaning the house and yard was always children's work. 01der siblings had the kuleana of caring for younger children and assuring their safety. They even fed the little ones and cleaned up after them. In my youth, Hawaiian children had regular kitchen duties, such as cooking the rice and preparing other foods for the family dinner, and children assisted with washing, hanging and folding the family laundry. Hawaiian children were trained to assure the comfort of adult visitors in their home, serving food and beverages and clearing away dishes. Hawaiian children were attentive to adult needs and were quietly efficient about carrying out their kuleana. Children today must learn what their kuleana is. Teaching Hawaiian children the customary behaviors and family duties is critical to Hawaiian survival. Traditional Hawaiian survival techniques were ones passed down by mākua and kūpuna, and it is even more vital in our heehe modern world that we must perpetuate the lāhui by teaching healthy lifestyles to our loved ones. Perpetuate traditions; it's our

Ol akino

^ k&i īk n ^ n i a r i i

By Claire Hughes Dr.PH., R.D.

— : i , Traditional family chores ean help keiki stay fit. Adults need to set good diet and exercise examples, too.