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The alternative is a continued rise in chronic diseases, said Marjorie Sawicki, instructor in the department of nutrition and dietetics.
"And we aren't talking about 25 or 50 years from now," she said. "In as little as 15 years, when today's teenagers hit their 30s, we could see another rise in heart disease, diabetes and cancer. I don't think you will ever see these chronic diseases go away until we can remedy the problem of poor fitness and diet. While medical research tries to find treatments, I prefer to address prevention."
Sawicki said with the year 2000 approaching, it's a perfect time for parents to make a millennial resolution with their children. Two important elements for a healthier child are healthy food habits and regular physical activity.
Sawicki said it is important to introduce young children to different kinds of food. "It is a parent's responsibility to provide nutritious, healthy foods," Sawicki said. "Your child won't be with you forever, so what you teach him or her at a young age will last a lifetime."
The same can be said for physical activity. Sawicki said exercise can be a lot of fun because the parent and child can do things together, such as swimming, bicycling, hiking, walking, camping or playing a sport.
"Exposing a child to a lot of different activities will allow him or her to pick and choose what they like," she said.
More importantly, if a child sees a parent who is active and eating healthy foods, the odds are the child will accept that as a lifestyle to emulate.
"I tell new parents that as soon as the child is able to walk, make him or her walk. Take walks as a family. The kids will start to look forward to them and expect them. The same can be said of any physical activity. They are fun and you won't even realize you are burning calories," Sawicki said.
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