Many habits are formed early in life. Family members who establish healthy habits such as regular exercise and eating nutritious foods, in the supportive environment of a family, are most likely to maintain this lifestyle in the long run.

Take the following quiz to gain some insight into your family’s current habits.

1. We sit down to eat dinner as a family:
   A. never
   B. 1-2 days/week
   C. 3-4 days/week
   D. 4+ days/week
2. Spending quality time together as a family means:
   A. Lounging around the house “vegging out” to de-stress from the week.
   B. Going out to eat at our family’s favorite restaurant (e.g. Red Robin).
   C. Spending the day at PRO Sports Club enjoying various activities around the club
   D. Planning a day hike in the local mountains and bringing along a healthy picnic
3. Our family pantry consists of:
   A. Kraft macaroni and cheese- it’s our family’s favorite!
   B. Anything Costco will package for easy consumption.
   C. Healthy foods limited in preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.
   D. A mix of foods whose labels have been carefully reviewed for optimum nutritional composition.
4. If our family were to construct an ideal family relay, it would be:
   A. A relay from the couch to the fridge and back, using the remote control as a               baton.
   B. Doesn’t Xbox have that game already on the market?
   C. 4 x 100 meters: short and intense.
   D. A marathon relay- and we would win it.
5. Healthy habits that we try to promote as a family include:
   A. Saying “no” when asked if we would like to “supersize” our order.
   B. Cutting back on Starbucks visits from every day to every other day.
   C. Switching from regular to diet soda.
   D. Sleeping 7-8 hours per night, eating breakfast regularly, and drinking 8 glasses of water a day.

SCORING:
Give yourself 0 points for each A, 1 point for each B, 2 points for each C, and 3 points for each D.

0-12 POINTS:
Small steps can make a big difference.
For expert nutritional advice, make an appointment to speak with a dietitian to identify areas that could be improved upon and receive workable ideas that fit into your family’s lifestyle. Increase your fitness level by finding an activity the whole family can engage in, while having fun spending quality time together.

12- 22 POINTS: 
On the road to fitness.
Most of the choices you make keep your family fit and healthy. Now take it to the next level. Could you dine out less and sit down and eat as a family more frequently? Experts say that families reap enormous emotional benefits when they regular eat meals together. Family communication is better, people eat more nutritiously, and the behavior of children is better overall.

22+ POINTS:
Someone in your family must have gone to school for this stuff. 
Your family is the envy of the rest of the neighborhood. What’s your secret? You’ve figured out that it’s the combination of healthy eating, staying active, and creating a balance between various activities and stresses that life can bring. However good you’ve become maintaining that lifestyle, occasionally you may need a little extra support. Stay on track and remember that the same healthy habits that got you this far in the first place will get you through the rough patches.

Originally from PRO Pulse July-August 2009
By Milla Kviatkovsky