How Do You Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies

Despite our son’s rather challenging food allergies, my wife and I have had it easy as parents. In the four-plus years since our daughter’s birth, we’ve been to the emergency room just once. There have been no scary choking moments, no broken bones, no serious bouts with the flu.

Both our kids sleep through the night and take naps (they’ve even been known to request them). And they eat their veggies—or at least they did until recently. Four-year-old Elise, who would eat peas, corn, green beans, and carrots as a toddler, began putting up resistance around age 3. She now eats only green beans and refuses to try anything new.

And 21-month-old Graeme has recently entered the veggie Olympics, turning carrot slices into discuses and peas into shot puts. (Thank God for the new dog.)

I’ve read lots of advice recently on how to get kids to eat veggies. Of course, there are entire books written on the subject, and controversies over books—most famously, Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food.

With Elise, we tried some of those tricks and sneaked green, healthy things into food she’s willing to eat—zucchini into muffins, squash into spaghetti sauce. We even convinced her that vegetarian corn dogs have real meat.

Not everyone’s into the deception thing. Blogger Tanya Steel, author of the new book Real Food for Healthy Kids, argues against hiding veggies. She recently offered up suggestions for getting picky kids to eat their greens.

• Serve kids veggies first; hungry kids are more likely to eat them
• Use examples, like the Olympics, to reinforce good eating habits
• Be a role model and eat your own veggies

(Speed-food maven Rachael Ray also serves up some tips in the September issue of Health magazine.)

The problem is, we’ve tried all these suggestions with little success. Graeme’s too young to understand the correlation of Olympic dreams and a diet rich in green beans. Elise is outsmarting us with the argument that she doesn’t want to be an Olympian.

I’m pretty frustrated, and that’s where you come in. How do you get your kids to eat their veggies? I’d like to hear. Post your suggestions in the comments field below, and I’ll share Graeme and Elise’s favorite solutions in a few weeks.

Personal Health Records and the Law

The October edition of the Health Lawyers News, a publication of the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA), contains an article I co-authored with Jud DeLoss, a principal in the law firm of Gray Plant Mooty, who blogs at Minnesota Health IT. On the eve of the Health 2.0 Conference this week the article provides a look at some of the legal issues around PHRs.

The article, The Rise of the Personal Health Record: Panacea or Pitfall for Health Information (pdf version), provides an introductory background on the changing world of PHRs, highlights Health 2.0 and covers some of the legal implications and compliance issues for PHRs. We are working on a longer and more detailed analysis that will be turned into a Member Briefing for the Health Information and Technology Practice Group. I would appreciate your posting a comment on topics or legal implications that we might consider covering in the full Member Briefing.

If you are a health lawyer, law student interested in health law or otherwise interested in the the legal aspects of the health care industry and not already a member of AHLA -- think about joining.

Bob Coffield is a health care lawyer practicing in Charleston, West Virginia in the law firm of Flaherty, Sensabaugh & Bonasso, PLLC who blogs on health care legal issues at Health Care Law Blog.

Books for Girls With a Health Message

When Addie Swartz was shopping with her 9-year-old daughter and friends, one of the girls noticed a scantily clad model at an Abercrombie & Fitch store. “Why do they have to do that?” one of the girls asked.
lake rescueLake Rescue offers inspiration to overweight girls.

Ms. Swartz describes it as an “aha” moment when the idea for a new book series came to her.

“It made me feel like the world is making them grow up so, so fast,” says Ms. Swartz. “It felt like there were so many messages out there that were bombarding her and her friends and girls her age.”

As a result, Ms. Swartz created the Beacon Street Girls book series. The stories, which revolve around five middle-school girls in Brookline, Mass., are shaped by leading experts in adolescent development, with the goal of helping girls build self-esteem and coping skills. Topics include the problems of an overweight girl and cyber bullying. This month the series will launch its latest book, “Green Algae and Bubblegum Wars,” a novel aimed at encouraging girls in science. The book is the result of a collaboration with Sally Ride, an astronaut who was the first American woman to orbit Earth.

But can expert health advice wrapped up as fiction really make a difference for the books’ young readers? A surprising new study suggests that for some girls, it can. To learn more, read my full Well column here.

And if you don’t know what your daughters are reading, check out this story from Naomi Wolf about the current crop of teen fiction.

What do you think of the current crop of teen literature? Has your child read a book from the Beacon Street Girls series? Please join the discussion and post your comments below.

Four Tips for Saving Money on Health Care Next Year

Yes, health costs are rising and employers keep shifting the financial burden to workers. But even if your company is sticking it to you, there are steps you can take to save a few bucks on your health spending next year. The catch is that you have to plan ahead.

We’re entering the open enrollment season, when employees have a couple of weeks to check out their health insurance options for next year and decide what plan to sign up for, among other things. So the Health Blog spoke with Karen Frost, who heads the health benefits outsourcing group at Hewitt Associates. Here are a few tips she suggested:

Don’t stick your head in the sand. (That’s our phrase, not hers.) Lots of people just ignore open enrollment, and get stuck into whatever plan the company assigns them. Sometimes this means you’ll be re-enrolled in your current plan, even if another one could wind up saving you money. But in other cases, a company assumes people who ignore open enrollment don’t want insurance — which means you could suddenly find yourself uninsured come Jan. 1.

Consider a higher copay. If you don’t go to see the doctor that often, a plan with a higher copay and a lower premium could make sense. “When my kids were really young it was worth it for us to have a low copay because we were at the doctor all the time,” Frost said. “But as they got older and went to the doctor less, switching from a $10 copay to a $25 copay saved us a lot of money in premiums.”

Sign up for a flexible spending account. These accounts, typically capped at a few thousand dollars, allow you to use pre-tax dollars for healthcare. Example: If you’re paying a tax rate of 25%, setting aside $2,000 in an FSA will save you $500. What’s more, you can use FSAs not only for obvious stuff like copays and dental work, but also for routine purchases like contact lens solution and over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines. There’s one catch: You have to specify in advance how much you want to set aside for the whole year. If you don’t use it, you lose it. So don’t set aside too much.

See if your company offers incentives for wellness or prevention programs. Between 30% and 40% of the companies Hewitt works with offer incentives such as premium discounts for filling out basic health questionnaires, Frost said. The company uses employees’ answers to recommend things they can do to lower health risks. Some companies are giving additional incentives to workers who follow through and actually try to lower their risk factors. A lot of companies give employees an incentive to fill out the questionnaire every year.

How Do I Find The Right Gym

Bikes in a Gym

If you’re in the market for a gym membership, there are plenty of details and amenities that may help boost your motivation and success. Today, fitness facilities aim to provide individuals with unique and wide-ranging services, from group fitness classes to child care support, you should check out the specifics before signing any gym contract. Below is a list of questions to pose when you are seeking a new gym membership.

What Specific Details Should I Look For?

When investigating gyms, consumers should always check for 8 details. When investigating these details, consumers can also ask a gym employee or salesperson specific questions to provide further insight and information.

Location - Is the location convenient to your home or place of work? Will the location be convenient to access during rush hour traffic?

Cost - Can you afford the cost of the membership? Are there any promotions? Are there any added membership fees or sign up fees? Can you pay the full year’s membership up front for an added discount?

Hours - What time of day do you like to work out? Do the gym hours accommodate your workout preferences? What hours are the busiest times

Equipment - Does the equipment suit your needs? Are there both cardio and weight machines? Are there free-weights? Is there enough space in the workout area to comfortably exercise and utilize the equipment?

Group Fitness - Are group fitness classes available? What are the types of classes and times of classes? Is there an added charge for group fitness? Who are the instructors, and are they certified and professionally licensed?

Amenities - Are there childcare services, and is there an added cost? Are there towels and personal care items included in the membership? Are there spa services included? Is there a pool and/or Jacuzzi and sauna available? Does the gym provide personal training services?

Staff - Do the instructors and trainers seem qualified? Are staff members licensed and professional? Are staff members friendly and welcoming?

Atmosphere - Is the gym more family oriented or adult professional oriented? (In other words, do you personally prefer a gym that incorporates child care and children’s activities, or do you prefer a gym that caters only to adults?) Is the atmosphere friendly and social, or is it quiet and reserved? Does the gym promote any social functions, such as community races or holiday gatherings? (Many gyms are involved in the extended community, which some potential members may prefer and enjoy).

Before Signing the Contract

Ultimately, before signing your gym contract, try to find out if the gym offers a free trial pass, or a free guest pass. Oftentimes gyms will allow potential members to test out the facilities before signing up. If this is an option, you’ll be able to personally assess the quality of the facility. Adding to this, try to speak with fellow-members before joining the gym; find out what their insight is about the pros and cons, so you’ll be able to make a more informed and educated decision.

Have anything to add? Leave a comment!