September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, an important time to reflect on how we can support the health & wellbeing of the next generation in meaningful ways. According to the CDC, approximately one in five children or adolescents have obesity, which is defined as a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for an individual’s age and sex. Childhood obesity is a complex condition with multifaceted risk factors. While some risks are due to factors outside of a family’s control—such as environmental, socioeconomic, and genetic influences—others are shaped by lifestyle behaviors, including sleep, eating patterns, and physical activity
These behaviors often stem from habits modeled and reinforced at home. This is where YourCoach health coaches can have a powerful and lasting impact (see our Observational Outcomes Study for more on specific data!). While we don’t work directly with children, our health coaching programs empower adults to build sustainable, healthy habits that in turn have positive effects on the whole family. In today’s blog, we explore three key ways health coaches support adults in creating healthier home environments, and how those changes can help shape the next generation’s relationship with health.
Modeling Healthy Behaviors Through Example.
Children often adopt the behaviors they see, not just the ones they’re told. Research shows that when parents model healthy habits, like balanced eating and regular exercise, their children are more likely to adopt those same behaviors. YourCoach health coaches work one-on-one with many parents to help make nutrition, movement, health and wellbeing more approachable and sustainable. What starts as a personal goal often becomes a family shift.
Clients frequently report their health choices begin to influence their children, sparking better habits at home. YourCoach health coaches often recommend incorporating healthy routines as a family, not only to reinforce habits, but also to strengthen family connection. Whether it’s preparing more balanced meals together, or going for regular, family walks, these shared moments create space for family and wellness at the same time.
Shifting the Conversation Around Health.
The way parents talk about health, food and their bodies can have a lasting impact on their children. Without even realizing it, adults may pass down messages rooted in diet culture or negative self-talk that can shape how children view themselves and their relationship with food, movement and self-worth.
YourCoach health coaches work directly with parents to help them become more mindful of their language and internal narratives. They guide clients in the way they talk about health and wellbeing. For example, instead of saying, “I need to work out because I ate something bad,” a health coach would help a client reframe to, “I want to move my body because it helps me feel good.” These subtle shifts improve a client’s mindset, making goals more achievable, and also create a more positive and empowering environment for a child to grow up around.
Empowering Confidence Through Consistency.
Confidence doesn’t come from doing everything perfectly, it comes from showing up consistently! For many adults, especially those juggling work and family life, working with a health coach helps them build up self-confidence through consistency and model this important behavior for their children. YourCoach health coaches provide structure and accountability through regular sessions. They help clients work towards their goals while celebrating the small wins along the way, like cooking at home two nights in a row or hitting a daily step goal for a week straight. These moments add up and reinforce a sense of progress and self-efficacy.
And when hurdles arise, like a busy week or a missed workout, health coaches help their clients reset without shame. They work together to identify what got in the way and set up a plan to get them back on track. This kind of resilience and the ability to keep going, even when things aren’t perfect, is a critical life skill and one that children learn by example. When parents model consistency and self-compassion kids are more likely to develop a healthy, flexible mindset around their own habits and goals. Not only that, but when kids see how a positive mindset can make reaching health goals feel more doable, they’re more likely to develop that same attitude toward their own wellbeing.
Childhood obesity is a complex public health challenge. But small, consistent actions at home and often catalyzed by a health coach can make a meaningful difference. When adults work with health coaches to improve their own wellbeing, those changes often ripple outward. Here at YourCoach, we believe health coaching can be a powerful tool in creating healthier families and future generations, and this is what led us to win Panasonic Well’s Family Innovation Challenge earlier this year. While we don’t coach children directly, we support family units and the adults who influence them every day. Because at the end of the day, healthy habits don’t just happen, they’re taught, shared and lived.
If you’re an organization that’s interested in learning more about partnering with us to deliver health coaching to your clients, employees, patients or members, send us an email to team@yourcoach.health.
FAQs
Q: How does YourCoach health coaching influence the health of families, especially children?
A: While YourCoach doesn’t coach children directly, our programs empower families and adults to build sustainable healthy habits that naturally influence their families. Clients find that modeling balanced eating, movement, and wellness routines at home sparks positive changes in their children’s habits and attitudes.
Q: Can health coaching help prevent childhood obesity even if children aren’t direct clients?
A: Yes! Childhood obesity is shaped, in part, by lifestyle habits reinforced at home. By working with parents on nutrition, physical activity, and stress management, health coaches help create healthier home environments that support children’s wellbeing in the long-term.
Q: What specific strategies do health coaches use to help parents create healthier home environments?
A: Health coaches guide parents in setting realistic goals, fostering positive conversations about health, and building consistent routines. This includes practical tips like family meal planning, encouraging shared physical activities, and reframing how families talk about food and body image, all tools that help create lasting, healthy changes at home.