This edition of Central Florida Health News focuses on various back-to-school topics that will help keep your kids safe and healthy as classes are back in session.
As a parent, keeping my children healthy is important to me. It’s no secret that all nurturing parents want the best for their children, and so we are constantly looking for the best resources to help us raise them and guide them. We make decisions based on how we were raised, medical recommendations from pediatricians and family physicians, and take advice from close friends and family members. Sometimes, we are even influenced by the media. There are many opinions on what is “right” and “wrong” and sometimes the strongest opinion is not necessarily the best. Parents have the additional responsibility of filtering through all this information to determine what is most beneficial for their children. Knowing we all do our best to raise our children, the Polk County Medical Association is here to help.
The members of the PCMA are committed to the health of all local residents, especially that of our youth, because certainly they are the future of our community. As part of this commitment to overall health, a few articles in past editions of Central Florida Health News have focused on eating right. This is especially important for children who are developing. As a parent, I can attest to the fact that it is not easy getting children to make healthy food choices. By acting as examples and eating right ourselves, our children will pick up these habits, and I believe, learn from our actions more than from our words. If we do not eat spinach, how can we expect them to eat it?
Doing things together as a family encourages children to get away from the TV and get active. The extra time we spend with our kids investing in their well-being will instill healthy habits that will last them (and us) a lifetime.
The Polk County Medical Association is here for you and your children, and we hope you find the articles of this edition a valuable resource in your parenting efforts.
Arvind B. Soni, M.D.
Vice President, Polk County Medical Association
Radiation Oncologist at Lakeland Regional Cancer Center
