Prevention of bad lifestyle habits should be tackled even before 13 years

The data points to the fact that young persons show more risk behavior than expected, more even than they themselves perceive, believing that they are healthier than they really are. The least healthy habits turn out to be eating ones, followed by ingestion of alcohol, sedentarism, risks involving sexual relations, the consumption of tobacco and drugs and, finally, low quality or insufficient sleep.

By age, it is notable that risk behavior presents itself in early adolescence and that all the habits, except sleep, worsen with the passing of the years. 16 years: this is the point of no return, as it were; the age in which either healthy activities are opted for or risk behavior patterns arise.

With respect to gender, women show greater risk conduct than men. The weak point of women is sedentarism, tobacco, sleep, risk of becoming pregnant and sexually transmitted diseases. Men, on the other hand, show weaknesses with alcohol, illegal drugs and eating.

Riverside Unified School District has an award winning, elementary school salad bar program. When the kids reach middle school, they know what to eat, and they make a stink if the middle school salad bars are not up to their award winning standards. Talk about getting them early!