To a healthier Father’s Day and future

Help families that want dads to eat smarter steer them to intelligent food choices in your stores.

Don’t give dads a tie this Father’s Day.  

Instead, give the gift of healthier eating that could lead to a longer life of wellness. Supermarkets could do well by promoting a concept that says, “Dad, we love you. We want you around for a long time.”

Here’s what The Lempert Report would like to see families do:
Rather than ply dad with treats that give only short-term pleasure, help motivate him to eat smarter, exercise more, and get a medical checkup.  This retraining will be a gift that lasts.  Make it a family-wide effort to stock the pantry and fridge with healthier foods from now on, so everyone benefits.  Set up a household system to encourage good behavior around food.

The stakes are high – and supermarkets that message consumers, run nutrition store tours and organize displays around A Healthy Father’s Day and Future theme would be seen as part of the solution to serious health threats. For example:
•    Nearly three out of 10 American adult men (28.1%) were obese in 2010, up 1.1 percentage points over the 2008 level, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.  Another 36.3% of American adults (men and women) were overweight in 2010.
•    About 1 adult male in 8 has diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed) –
 specifically 13.0 million or 11.8% of all men age 20 and older, reports the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.
•    About 1 adult in 3 has high blood pressure. The majority (80%) of them are aware of their condition, but fewer than half have their condition under control, notes United Health Group.  Related: nearly 1 in 4 men (23%) smoke cigarettes, and 15% of adults have high total serum cholesterol levels.

The pressures dads face in this economy could add to their unhealthy, emotional eating. It’s up to families – and to supermarkets as their primary food resources – to make this Father’s Day a turning point for better health.