Health experts stress that attitudes and habits formed in childhood can strongly influence a person’s future health.
“If children learn about the benefits of good nutrition and exercise and the hazards of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, their chances increase for longer, healthier and happier lives,” said Carolyn Aldig, president and founder of the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.
The need to help children make healthier choices is becoming ever more dire: The rates of childhood and adolescent obesity have doubled in the last 30 years, and as many as 50 percent of American youths do not exercise vigorously on a regular basis. Also, 4.5 million kids under 18 smoke regularly – including 10 percent of eighth-graders. With 70 percent of cancer cases directly attributable to diet and smoking, it’s important to teach kids early on the importance of good health sense.
With that goal in mind, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation created “Dr. Health’nstein’s Body Fun,” a free, online computer game that teaches children how to make healthy choices about food and exercise at home and at school....