Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is America's No. 1 killer. More than 940,000 people die from CVD annually -- 40 percent of all deaths. Stroke is the leading cause of serious disability among Americans. If all health trends remain constant, about 35 million of today's 83 million children will eventually die from heart and blood vessel disease. According to some studies, up to one-third of American children are obese.
Parents can help promote healthy hearts by encouraging schools to adopt the AHA HeartPower! Schoolsite Program. The program emphasizes the AHA's four key messages about heart health. Nutrition, physical activity, living tobacco-free, and knowing how the heart works all play vital roles in maintaining a healthy heart.
Since the original Schoolsite Program was launched in 1985, more than 76 million students have benefitted from its common-sense messages about heart health. Many of the habits that promote a healthier heart are easiest to establish in childhood. That's why the AHA has developed the program, to provide teacher-tested, scientist-approved materials that encourage students (and their families), to adopt heart-healthy behaviors.
Parents will benefit too, because they can examine their own heart-healthy behaviors, while reinforcing them with their children. The rich variety of components -- colorful posters, engaging literature with HeartPower! themes, hands-on investigations, appealing activities, and much more -- make teaching heart-healthy behaviors easy and enjoyable. HeartPower! Parents and children will learn it, live it and love it!
For more information on HeartPower, visit the American Heart Association web-site at www.americanheart.org.
