Fit Dads Raise Fit Kids

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Hey Brothers,

Welcome back to the LenDentonThrive Letter. This is where I write every week about the ThriveLife - my food-first, gym-optional approach to help you lose weight, get fit and stay fit for life!

In this week's edition of the Letter, I’m talking specifically to dads (and guys who want to become dads) about the influence you have over your kids’ future health and fitness. That’s because research shows that your current activity around your personal health and fitness has a big impact over how fit your children will be in the future. This means that fit dads improve the chances that their kids will be fit adults. 

I’ll also share some tips on how to improve the likelihood that you’ll raise fit and healthy kids.  So, let’s jump in!

The Link Between Fit Dads and Fit Kids

The obesity rate among Americans is growing every year, and that’s also true among American kids under the age of 12. Studies show that around 20% of American kids under age 12 are obese. 

Childhood obesity is a strong predictor of adult obesity. Around half of obese kids over 6 become obese as adults. But, it gets worse as kids remain obese into their teen years. The obesity rate climbs to 70-80% when kids become obese teenagers. 

But, there’s also good news! Research shows that when parents are physically active, only about 8% of their children are overweight or obese, compared with much higher rates in families where parents are inactive. Fathers, in particular, often act as the “physical activity leader” in the home, setting the tone for play, sport, and active family time. 

The key takeaway from the research is that children of physically active parents were more likely to adopt healthier habits and engage in higher amounts of regular physical activity. The result was lower obesity rates at vaious age-levels including adulthood.

3 Tips For Raising Fitter Kids

It’s clear that healthier, more active dads tend to raise healthier kids. Here are three simple tips to help every dad create an environment that fosters healthier outcomes for their kids.

Tip #1 - Show them the ‘healthy’ version of You 

Show them what your healthy version of normal looks like. Let your kids see you working out. Find fun and safe ways for them to join you in working out. (Imitation shapes behavior.)  

Healthy eating habits are a big opportunity. Model making good food decisions for them.

But, what if you don’t feel that you can show them a healthy version of yourself yet? That’s okay. Show them the change you’re making and explain in simple terms what you’re doing and why it matters. And, let them be part of the change.

Tip #2 - Engage in regular physical activity with them

Get them involved in fun physical activities - things like taking a walk, riding bikes or engaging in games in the yard.

Tip #3 - Teach your kids to cook

Fit folks cook!

Teach your kids to cook and involve them in meal preparation as a normal part of their life. Home-cooked meals are healthier in general. Plus, showing kids how to cook can reduce their dependence on less-healthy ultra-processed food sources in the future. Being able to cook is a crucial life skill for healthy adults.

The Fit Dad Advantage 

When you choose to be a fit dad, you are not just adding years to your life—you are teaching your kids what “normal” looks like. Your eating habits, workouts, weekend hikes, backyard games, and even simple evening walks quietly teach them what a healthy normal looks like. Over time, this becomes their normal, too!

And, every time you say, “Let’s go outside,” you are doing more than burning calories together. You are lowering their long-term obesity risk, and building their healthier future.

Not A Dad Yet?

Not a dad yet, but plan to be in the future?

There’s good reason to become more fit and healthy today! Research shows that fit men pass healthier genes to their future children. This means that our workouts may have generational benefits! 

Being The Example

As dads, we don’t get to decide whether we’ll be examples for our kids. That’s already decided for us. But, we do get to decide whether we’ll be good examples or otherwise.

So, we should ask ourselves, “What kind of example am I setting for my kids?” 

If you’re already modelling a fit and healthy normal for them, good work! Keep going, Dad! 

But if you feel that you could do a better job of showing your kids a fit and healthy example, you can make the decision to head in a new, healthier direction. 

The ThriveLife can help you make that transition without having to totally overhaul your life. The ThriveLife is a food-first, gym-optional lifestyle that will show you how to lose weight while getting leaner, stronger and healthier. And there are no crazy diets, calorie counting or grueling workouts. 

Let me help you build your own ThriveLife. Here’s two ways how I can help you:

1 - Subscribe to the LDT Letter for weekly tips and strategies

2 - Join the wait list for my upcoming new book ThriveLife Transformation, where I’ll show you how to build a healthier version of YOU with 6 Smart Daily Habits that you can do in 30 minutes a day. 

To join the waitlist, just reply to this newsletter and say “Sign me up!” I’ll send you an email when the book is available.

Thanks for reading today.

And remember, God loves us. He wants us (and our kids) to thrive. So, let’s go!

All the best… Len

Healthy dads raise healthy families!

My mission is to help 1 million men raise healthy families for the Kingdom of God. So, I write this newsletter to make a positive impact on the lives of men and their families. If you found this information useful, please consider subscribing to receive new editions each week. And, please share this with friends or family that would benefit from the ThriveLife!

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