The honor is in recognition of their development of an AI tool that refines breast-cancer risk prediction.
WashU Medicine researchers Graham A. Colditz, MD, DrPH, and Shu (Joy) Jiang, PhD, at Siteman Cancer Center are the joint recipients of the 2026 WashU Chancellor’s Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The pair were honored for developing artificial intelligence (AI)-based imaging software that analyzes mammograms to more accurately predict a woman’s personalized five-year risk of developing breast cancer.
Colditz is the Niess-Gain Professor of Medicine and Jiang is an associate professor, both in the Division of Public Health Sciences in the WashU Medicine Mary Culver Department of Surgery. They also are research members at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine. At Siteman, Colditz also is associate director for cancer prevention and control.
The Chancellor’s Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established in 2010 to recognize faculty members who have translated their research into significant commercial applications, such as new technologies, therapeutics or diagnostic tools. Colditz and Jiang received the award May 7 at the WashU Office of Technology Management’s (OTM) annual Celebration of Inventors, which recognizes innovation and commercialization successes of WashU faculty during the preceding calendar year.
Colditz is an epidemiologist who specializes in preventable causes of chronic disease, particularly among women. Jiang is a biostatistician and data scientist who focuses on developing statistical methods to identify and predict cancer risks, especially for breast cancer.
In 2024, the collaborators co-founded Prognosia, a WashU startup based on their AI mammography analysis tool, with support from OTM. The tool, Prognosia Breast, received FDA Breakthrough Device designation in June 2025. The company was bought by Lunit, a company that specializes in AI applications, a few months later.
As many of us know, keeping weight in check can be hard. And national numbers certainly reflect this. Rates of overweight and obesity in the U.S. have steadily climbed since the early 1980s.
The impact this has had on health and well-being is very significant. Weight gain and obesity increase the risk of 13 cancers, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, mobility problems and many other serious conditions.
So, the recent rise of GLP-1 medications for weight loss has become a promising bright spot.
Officially known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, GLP-1 drugs were first approved to treat type 2 diabetes — and later for weight management. The most commonly used GLP-1 drugs are semaglutide, sold as Ozempic or Wegovy, and tirzepatide (a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist), sold as Zepbound. They’re usually given with a once-a-week self-injection, but a semaglutide pill recently became available.
“GLP-1 receptor agonists are based on hormones that are made naturally by the body when we eat,” said Dr. Cynthia Herrick, a professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research at WashU Medicine. “They slow the movement of food through the gut and have a complex effect on signals of fullness in the brain.”
In response, people eat less — and lose weight. Those using the most common once-a-week GLP-1 drugs have been shown in studies to lose around 15% to 20% of their body weight.
On top of weight loss, studies have found a wide range of health benefits with GLP-1 drugs, which can vary depending on the specific drug. Herrick said they can help treat type 2 diabetes, prevent future heart attacks and stroke in people who have had them in the past, and lessen certain liver and kidney conditions. “The newest once-weekly drug, tirzepatide, has also been approved to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea,” Herrick added.
As with any medication, though, there can be downsides. Serious side effects are rare but can include gallstones, an inflamed pancreas and problems with food moving through the digestive system. There is also some concern that GLP-1 drugs may increase the risk of thyroid cancer, but so far, studies haven’t shown this.
More common side effects include nausea, occasional vomiting, bloating, mild diarrhea and constipation. To help minimize these, people are started on low doses, which are then increased monthly, Herrick said.
Since research on these drugs is still relatively young, it will take some time before we have more complete information about their long-term safety and benefits.
In addition to diabetes, GLP-1 drugs are most commonly prescribed for weight loss for people with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher who also have a related condition, like high blood pressure or unhealthy blood cholesterol. Someone who is 5 feet 6 inches and weighs 186 pounds would have a BMI of 30, for example.
Insurance coverage for GLP-1 drugs can vary. Most plans will cover a GLP-1 drug to treat diabetes. But they’re less commonly covered for weight loss or other approved conditions. And even with insurance, monthly costs on some plans can be over $1,000 until people reach their deductibles.
Some options, though, can help. “There are now direct-to-consumer programs from the pharmaceutical companies that can lower the cost to $150 to $450 per month, depending on the medication and dose,” Herrick said.
Since people on GLP-1 therapy will likely be on it long-term, affordable access can be especially important. “I tell people to think of these the way we think of blood pressure and cholesterol medicines,” Herrick said. “These work to reduce heart disease risk, but only when taking the medications. When people stop them, weight can increase.”
Keeping up with physical activity and healthy eating remains important while taking GLP-1 drugs and is a key recommendation from many organizations. It can boost the benefits of medication, improve quality of life and help maintain weight loss. And these benefits can build on each other.
“I’ve had patients note that they no longer have a taste for sugar-sweetened beverages or alcohol after starting these medications. They find it easier to limit processed food intake and to control portions,” she said. “And as people begin to lose weight, they often find regular physical activity easier to do.”
It’s clear there’s a lot of interest in GLP-1 drugs. A recent KFF survey found that as many as 12% of people in the U.S. already take one, and that number is likely to keep growing. While we still have a lot to learn about their long-term risk and benefits, so far GLP-1 drugs have shown real potential for improving people’s health and well-being.
Recent headlines have pushed colorectal cancer back to the top of news feeds with the unfortunate passing of actor James Van Der Beek. Like Chadwick Bozeman, who died of the disease in 2020, Van Der Beek was diagnosed at a relatively young age — part of a troubling trend.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the U.S., and around 20% of cases are now found in those under age 55.
While the exact reasons for this shift are currently unclear, we do know that some important steps can help lower the risk of colorectal cancer. And most have benefits whatever our age — younger, older or in between.
Getting regular screening tests for colon cancer is the single best way to protect yourself from the disease. Screenings can catch cancer early, when it’s most treatable, and it can help prevent the disease by finding growths that could turn into cancer. Most people begin getting tested at age 45. Those with a family history of colon cancer or other important risk factors may begin younger and get tested more often. Colonoscopy and stool tests, like stool DNA or the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), are commonly recommended. Each screening test is different, so talk to a health care professional about which one may be a good fit for you. The best test is the one you get.
Being overweight increases the risk of at least 13 cancers, including colorectal cancer. If you’ve put on extra weight, a good first goal is to try to stop gaining weight — which has health benefits by itself. Then, for a bigger health boost, slowly try to lose some pounds. Being physically active, limiting sugary drinks, and getting enough sleep are some steps that can help.
The best thing you can do for health is not smoke. Smoking causes colorectal cancer and many other serious diseases. If you don’t smoke, stay smoke-free. If you smoke, quit. It has huge benefits, which start shortly after your last cigarette. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit smokefree.gov for help. Talking to a doctor can double your chances of success.
Physical activity has wide-ranging health and wellness benefits, including lowering the risk of colorectal cancer. Try to get around 30 minutes or more of moderate activity each day. But any amount is better than none. Grab a friend and choose activities you enjoy — whatever gets you moving.
Drinking even small amounts of alcohol can raise the risk of colon cancer. And with alcohol’s other risks, not drinking is the overall healthiest choice. Fizzy water is a healthy option, and there is a growing selection of alcohol-free beer and wine.
A diet rich in whole grains and fiber — and limited in red and processed meats — helps lower the risk of colorectal cancer. Try to get around 2-4 servings of whole-grain foods every day, like 100% whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereal and pasta. Make other high-fiber foods a regular part of your menu as well, like fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans. And try to eat fewer than three servings a week of foods like bacon, sausage, steak and hamburger. The less, the better.
Also, if you ever have any possible symptoms of colorectal cancer, be sure to see a doctor. These can include blood in the stool, stomach pain, change in bowel habits, unplanned weight loss or ongoing fatigue. Don’t put it off because you think you might be too young for the disease. Get it checked out whatever your age. The earlier a cancer is found, the better it can be treated.
Cancer is caused by a combination of factors. Some we can’t control, and some we may be able to change. Up to 75% of colorectal cancers could be avoided with screening and healthy behaviors. Small healthy changes add up — and over time, they can make a real difference in our risk. And that’s a positive message even as news stories remind us how serious a disease it is.
It’s your health. Take control.
Dr. Graham A. Colditz leads prevention research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine in St. Louis. Much of his work focuses on translating research findings into tools and tips that help people lower their risk of disease and improve their health — including the 8IGHT WAYS® to Prevent Cancer series.
Moving toward a diet with more whole foods and fewer processed and fast foods is a great goal for everyone — and can have many health benefits. Adding more whole grains to our weekly menus can help us do just that.
If someone asked us to name five ways to improve our health and lower the risk of illness, “eat a healthy diet” would probably land on most of our lists. And it certainly belongs there. Research has shown that healthy eating could prevent over 80,000 cancer cases each year in the U.S. and help even more people prevent heart disease and diabetes.
While most of us have ways we could make our weekly menus healthier, eating more whole grains is one area where there can be a lot of room for improvement. As many as 90% of us aren’t getting the amounts recommended for our health and wellness.
Wheat, oats, rice, corn and barley are examples of grains. They offer the most benefit when they are whole grains — that is, when they include the three key parts of the natural grain kernel: bran, germ and endosperm. Bran and germ are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and other healthy compounds. When the bran and germ are removed during processing, they become refined grains.
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans — along with those of other organizations —recommend focusing on eating whole grains over less-healthy refined grains. Whole-wheat bread and brown rice are classic whole-grain foods, compared to their refined versions, white bread and white rice.
Most adults should aim for 2-4 servings of whole grains a day, with one serving equaling a half cup of cooked oatmeal, a cup of dry breakfast cereal or a slice of bread.
One simple way to choose more whole grains is to look for foods that are labelled “100% whole grain,” “100% whole wheat,” “100% whole-grain oats” or something very similar. You can also look for “whole grain” listed as a first ingredient, which means whole grains are the primary ingredient in the food.
Try these options for working more whole grains into your day. See which ones might be a good place to start, then build from there — and add your own creativity to fit them into your favorite foods.
Snacks
Whole-grain pretzels, whole-grain pita chips and whole-grain crackers
Whole-grain granola with Greek yogurt
Air- or pan-popped popcorn
Breakfast
Oatmeal or whole-grain oat dry cereal
100% whole-wheat toast
Whole-wheat or whole-grain buckwheat pancakes
Lunch
Whole-wheat spaghetti or whole-wheat pasta salad
Sandwich with 100% whole-wheat bread
Rice bowl with brown rice
Dinner
Soup or stew with added barley or brown rice
Burrito with whole-wheat tortilla and brown rice
Whole-grain veggie burger with whole-wheat bun
When eating out, ask about whole-grain options — for bread, buns, tortillas, fillings or side dishes. They may not always be listed on menus, or if they are, may not be highlighted. But they’re becoming more common options at many restaurants and can be an easy way to sneak more whole grains into our days.
It’s also good to choose whole-grain foods that are lower in added sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats. Some whole-grain breakfast cereals, for example, can still have a lot of added sugar and sodium. Choosing healthier options overall provides an even bigger nutrition boost.
Moving toward a diet with more whole foods and fewer processed and fast foods is a great goal for everyone — and can have many health benefits.
Adding more whole grains to our weekly menus can help us do just that. It can take a little extra time and effort to make the switch. But it’s 100% worth it.
It’s a number to celebrate: 3.9 million. That’s the likely number of Americans saved from lung cancer since 1970 with efforts to curb cigarette smoking. Seen another way, this translates to over 76 million years added to people’s lives. It’s truly astounding and doesn’t even include the impact from lower risks of many other cancers and diseases caused by smoking.
Looking ahead, these gains will only grow as fewer youth and young adults take up smoking — and as more people who currently smoke, quit.
Quitting, though, isn’t easy — as anyone who’s done it can tell you. But thousands of people do it every day, and right now in the U.S. there are more people who used to smoke than who currently smoke.
For those who want to quit — or are just thinking about it — getting support can really help, doubling the chances of success. This can include reaching out to your health care clinic or provider for assistance.
There’s also free support at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and smokefree.gov, which offers texting tools, an app and other services.
Support usually includes a mix of medication as well as in-person and virtual classes and programs. Medications can be prescription drugs, like bupropion, as well as nicotine replacement therapy, like gums and patches. These help with nicotine withdrawal and cravings. Programs and classes can help with developing skills and behaviors for staying smoke-free.
“Services like the smokefree.gov texting program provide encouraging, motivating daily messages,” said Dr. Li-Shiun Chen, director of smoking cessation at WashU Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center. “A lot of my patients love that. They wake up and get a text that says, ‘Hey, it’s a new day. Why don’t you take a walk outside instead of lighting a cigarette?’”
Along with such support, one of the most important approaches to quitting is simply to keep at it.
“On average, it takes a person seven to nine attempts to succeed,” Chen said. “One gentleman we worked with tried 13 times, but then he succeeded with help from a lifestyle coach and medicine. He said that support made all the difference. So, don’t worry about failure. It’s very important to keep trying, even just to reduce how much you smoke.”
FDA-approved products, like nicotine replacement therapy, have the best evidence for helping with quitting. But electronic cigarettes and vaping, which aren’t FDA-approved, may have a role in certain situations, Chen said. “In an adult who smokes cigarettes routinely, actually transitioning to safe vaping is harm reduction. ‘Safe vaping’ means just nicotine — not adding cannabis, not adding flavors. And this type of vaping can be an intermediate step to getting rid of tobacco.”
Vaping, though, is a double-edged sword, Chen warned. It has some inherent dangers, and kids should totally avoid it. Among other risks, it can lead to nicotine addiction and tobacco smoking. “If you’re a 12-year-old, vaping is really bad.”
No matter how long you’ve been smoking or how old or healthy you are — in almost any situation, really — there are important benefits to quitting. And these benefits start just days in and build over the years. Breathing quickly improves. Food starts tasting better. And wrinkles on the face from early aging can start to relax. Then, the risk of serious diseases like cancer, stroke, heart disease, lung disease and dementia begin to drop, with some eventually reversing to the same risk as someone who never smoked.
“Quitting smoking can add about 13 years of life back to a person, but it’s not only a longer life, it’s also a higher quality of life,” Chen concluded. “It’s an amazing opportunity to improve your health, and it’s the best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones.”
Heading into a new year, it feels like a great time to mix things up. So, after several years interviewing leaders in health and medicine to get their insight for this column, I thought it seemed only fair to turn the tables and have a colleague interview me.
The result was a great discussion that touched on issues big and small — and that may provide a peek behind the curtain of medical research and how I incorporate health recommendations into my own life.
Much of your work focuses on helping people improve their health and prevent diseases like cancer. What drew you to this?
When I was a medical student and we’d visit cancer patients, it seemed like lung cancer was everywhere, and no one really talked about tackling smoking as a way to prevent it. People were talking about how to prevent heart disease and high blood pressure, but not cancer. It looked like there was real potential to go after cancer prevention in a creative and impactful way.
If someone asked you for the top three behaviors they should follow to lower cancer risk, what would you recommend?
The top one is: Don’t smoke. Or, if you smoke, quit. Next would be to avoid weight gain. That may be surprising to hear, but extra weight increases the risk of many different cancers. Regular physical activity helps with controlling weight, as does my third top behavior: eating a healthy diet. Try to focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains — and limit fast and processed foods.
What’s something you do that’s pretty simple but can have a large payoff for health?
One easy thing has been building short walks into my daily life. A regular 15- to 20-minute walk to work or school or a nearby store can have amazing health benefits. I’m not perfect with it, but I’ve tried to make it a routine to walk instead of drive when it’s safe and pretty easy to do. I like to get longer walks in when I can, but it’s great to have this basic amount of activity built into my day.
Most of us can improve the way we eat. Do you have something you’ve been trying to work on recently?
One thing I started doing was switching to alcohol-free, or NA, beer. I’m Australian, and we’re known for liking beer. And the NAs are really good now — with a lot of options in stores and at bars and restaurants. So, I was like, “Let’s give it a go and switch.” It also felt important to do because we’ve tried to bring more attention to the message that zero alcohol is the best choice when it comes to cancer risk and overall health.
Health recommendations can change over time, whether it’s what to eat or drink or when we should get screening tests. Why this is?
This can feel frustrating, for sure. But we can also see such changes and say, “It’s really good news. We know a lot more now than we used to.” Looking at breast cancer screening, mammogram technology today is much better than what we used to have. The richness of the image is better. And we have more studies that have gone on for longer periods of time. So, we have more evidence on the positive impact of mammograms on women’s health. With this, we can revisit and refine recommendations for when women should start screening and how often they should have it. This also applies to many other health recommendations. They can be refined over time as we learn more.
Wrapping things up, do you have any specific health goals for the coming year?
I’d like to lose a few more pounds and get back into the normal weight range. As a nation, the weight issue stands out. It’s a driver of so many chronic conditions — not just cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but also mobility and memory problems. And we haven’t done a great job with policies and approaches that make it easier for people to be physically active and choose healthier foods. That’s a bigger goal for policymakers and health professionals like me. But on a more personal level, I’ll try to keep up with the steps that can help me get to a healthier weight in 2026.
Of the many advances in science and technology over the past 25 years, genetic testing is arguably one of the most notable. Once a rare part of health care, it is now becoming much more common. And it’s possible that someone you know — or maybe even you — has had it done. Most often, people get genetic testing to settle curiosity about which parts of the world their ancestors may have come from or to connect with relatives from other branches of their family tree.
But genetic testing can also reveal important information about our health, including the risk of cancer.
“Genetic testing for cancer risk uses a saliva sample or blood sample to look for changes in specific genes — or pieces of DNA — that are associated with increased risk of certain types of cancers,” said Erin Linnenbringer, PhD, a board-certified genetic counselor and associate professor at WashU Medicine.
There are many genes that are related to cancer. Two of the most well-known examples are BRCA1 and BRCA2, Linnenbringer added. Women with harmful changes — known as “variants” or “mutations” — in these genes have a much greater risk of developing breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Men with these mutations also have a greater risk of breast and pancreatic cancer as well as prostate cancer.
While most gene mutations don’t increase cancer risk as much as those in BRCA1 and BRCA2 can, they can still have an important impact. And knowing that can help with managing the increased risk from a mutation. Screening tests or regular health exams can begin at younger ages and be done more often, which can help find a cancer earlier when it’s more treatable. And, for some types of cancer, medication, surgery or screening can even help prevent the disease.
Right now, this type of genetic testing is typically ordered through a health-care professional and is done in people who have had cancer or have a strong family history of cancer.
“People who are diagnosed with an adult-onset cancer at a young age, such as having breast cancer before the age of 40, who have been diagnosed with an aggressive or late-stage cancer, or who have certain types of rare cancers, like ovarian cancer or pancreatic cancer, should consider having genetic testing,” Linnenbringer said. “The same is true if you have more than one relative on your mom or dad’s side of the family who has had cancer, or if your parent, brother or sister was diagnosed with cancer at a young age.”
If you have concerns about your family history and cancer risk, the first step is often sharing that with your health-care provider. “They may be comfortable reviewing your family history and ordering an appropriate genetic test, or they may refer you to a genetic counselor or other specialist,” Linnenbringer said. “You can also search for a counselor near you, at findageneticcounselor.nsgc.org.”
Genetic counselors are a great resource for thinking through the elements that go into deciding if genetic testing is right for you. “They are health-care professionals with specialized training in both genetics and patient communication and counseling,” Linnenbringer said. In addition to assessing cancer risk from your personal and family history, genetic counselors can also help with considering the implications of testing that might not immediately come to mind. This can include its possible effect on life insurance and emotional health, as well as other family members — who may have the same mutations that your testing could find.
If you don’t have a good idea of your family health history, the upcoming holidays can be a fantastic opportunity to connect with family members and get more details. Try to find out the types of cancer any relatives may have had, and around what age they were diagnosed. It can also be helpful to know if any have had genetic testing. This may not always be the easiest conversation, but it can be worth the effort — providing valuable information about whether genetic counseling or genetic testing may make sense.
Looking to the future, Linnenbringer feels the benefits of genetic testing will likely only increase as we learn more through continued research and expanded testing across a wider range of people.
Prognosia’s AI-based imaging tech could improve prevention, early detection of breast cancer
An innovative biotech startup founded by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has been acquired by Lunit, a leading company in developing AI-based technologies for cancer prevention and early detection. The WashU startup, Prognosia, was created to develop software that harnesses AI to analyze mammograms and more accurately predict a woman’s five-year risk of developing breast cancer.
The startup’s first software package, Prognosia Breast, received Breakthrough Device Designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year, putting it on a fast track to full market approval. Lunit’s acquisition of Prognosia can help accelerate the final steps of the process to bring the technology into the clinic.
“We are excited to work with Lunit to bring this technology to the clinic,” Jiang said. “Lunit already has the infrastructure in place to streamline production and clinical implementation of our software that would be extraordinarily difficult for a new startup to build from scratch. Integrating our software into their existing systems could help this new technology get into the hands of physicians and patients very quickly.”
The system produces a five-year breast cancer risk score that makes it possible to compare a woman’s personalized risk to an average risk based on national breast cancer incidence rates. This provides a meaningful estimate that is aligned with the U.S. national risk reduction guidelines, so that clinicians will know what options to discuss if a patient’s breast cancer risk is elevated.
“Improved risk prediction can help early detection, which has the potential to increase the likelihood of successful treatment that is less disruptive to people’s lives,” said Colditz, an internationally renowned cancer prevention researcher who has led the field for decades. “We recognized that there is a tremendous wealth of information about breast cancer development already stored and continuing to be newly collected in the form of regular mammograms. Until recently, there was no way to use this information to inform risk prediction or to develop new and better prevention strategies.”
Improving Accuracy
Past research led by Colditz and Jiang has shown their system is more than twice as accurate as the standard method of identifying individuals at high risk of developing breast cancer over the next five years. The standard method is based on questionnaires that include factors such as age, race and family history of breast cancer. Research also has shown that the technology maintains its high performance across multiple demographic groups, including among people of diverse races, ages and differing breast densities.
These results led to the technology’s recent FDA Breakthrough Device designation, which provides an accelerated review process for full market approval with the goal of giving patients and clinicians access to promising new medical devices sooner. The designation recognizes that the software already has undergone rigorous testing and has shown excellent promise in its potential to improve clinical care.
The developers said the technology could be easily integrated into existing clinical workflows and is compatible with both types of mammogram imaging available: the four 2D views of the breast produced by full-field digital mammography and the synthetic 3D view of the breast produced by digital breast tomosynthesis.
“Prognosia is a superb example of harnessing all the resources available to WashU faculty to accelerate the launch of a company,” said Nichole R. Mercier, PhD, assistant vice chancellor and managing director of OTM. “Dr. Colditz and Dr. Jiang were proactive in adapting and learning through the resources and guidance of WashU’s OTM and the entrepreneurship ecosystem of St. Louis. Through Lunit’s acquisition of Prognosia, we’re excited to see this powerful startup venture become even better positioned to make transformative improvements in breast cancer risk estimation, prevention and early detection.”
Colditz and Jiang said Prognosia would not have been possible without OTM’s GAP funding program, which allowed them to do the work required for the FDA’s Breakthrough Device designation, as well as support from BioGenerator Ventures, which provided both financial support and expertise in business strategy from Entrepreneur-in-Residence David Smoller, PhD.
“With the guidance of OTM and David Smoller, we broadened our perspective beyond the technical aspects of the software to focus on the needs of the health-care providers who will use it to care for patients,” Colditz said. “That shift in mindset has been crucial to developing a technology that’s truly useful in the clinical setting.”
Colditz and Jiang will hold advisory roles at Lunit during the pre-market review process that precedes full FDA approval of the technology and for ongoing development projects. The regulatory plan includes an initial submission for the static model of risk prediction based on mammograms taken at a single timepoint, with a roadmap to expand functionality of the software by analyzing mammograms from the same person taken at multiple timepoints to improve the accuracy of the prediction.
Now that kids are back in school, families are settling into their new routines after a long summer break. It can certainly be a busy time for everyone. But this transition can also be a great opportunity to help our kids — and our households — build healthy behaviors that can carry through the year, and beyond.
While many behaviors are important for our children’s health and wellness, improving their sleep and activity habits can have especially wide-ranging benefits.
“It is vital for children to get enough sleep, exercise regularly and limit screen time because these habits are strongly linked to positive outcomes for their physical, mental, cognitive and social development,” said Dr. Mary Fournier, an associate professor of pediatrics at WashU Medicine in St. Louis.
Together, these behaviors can help boost heart health, immune function and bone health, among other physical health benefits, she said. But the specific benefits can also reach many other key parts of children’s health and development.
“Each of these behaviors is beneficial, but when all three recommendations are followed, the combined effect is even greater and helps lower a child’s risk of anxiety, depression and behavior problems,“ Fournier said. “And research has shown that children with these healthy habits tend to perform better academically, think more clearly and have stronger attention, memory and executive function skills.”
A good goal for school-aged children is at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, but this can include a combination of activities, like playing with friends, walking with the family and sports or other activities. For screen time on phones, computers and TV, it’s generally good to keep it under one to two hours a day outside of schoolwork. And while healthy sleep needs can vary, school-aged children should generally get around nine to 12 hours a night.
Fournier offered these tips to help families meet these goals:
Healthy Sleep
Keep screens out of the bedroom — and stop all screen time 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
Make bedtime the same each night and make it early enough to allow for sufficient sleep.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Dim the lights, put away screens and engage in soothing activities such as reading, drawing, writing, listening to quiet music or taking a warm bath or shower.
Limited Screen Time
Keep screens out of the bedroom, especially at night.
Plan non-screen activities. Play a game, read a book, draw a picture, put together a puzzle, or go outside to play.
Save screen time for a special treat or time, especially for younger kids.
Daily Physical Activity
Add physical activity to daily routines. Walk to school or the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, involve your kids in active chores like vacuuming or raking leaves.
Make it fun! Find activities that your child enjoys or that your family can do together.
Be a good role model. Kids need to see regular exercise as a normal behavior for everyone. Plan family activities where you and your kids can exercise together — daily walks, family bike rides or impromptu dance parties.
This can feel like a lot, especially when life with kids can be busy and often unpredictable. But healthy changes don’t have to happen all at once. So, while it’s good to keep longer-term goals in mind, Fournier highlighted the benefits of realistic day-to-day changes:
“While working on all three behaviors can have an amplifying effect on a child’s overall health, even small improvements in any of them can help.”
Surveys show that most of us place a high priority on our health and wellness. That’s probably not surprising to hear. But as common a goal as improving health is, it can sometimes feel like a mystery how we can actually work toward it, with busy days filled with work, family and other important activities.
Luckily, small changes can have meaningful health benefits, and those benefits grow over time.
Try these 15 simple tips that focus on behaviors most of us could start today.
Stock up on frozen vegetables. They’re easy, ready when you need them and as healthy as fresh options when they have no added salt or sugar.
Place fruit where you can see it — on the counter, top shelf of the refrigerator or your desk. Make it as easy as possible to choose these snacks over less-healthy ones.
Keep a reusable water bottle filled and close by. Plain water is the healthiest and easiest way to stay hydrated.
Add a mini walk — a micro break — to your day. Park at the far end of the lot, get off the bus a stop or two early, or walk to the end of the block and back. Any extra steps we take count toward better health and provide a little “me” time.
Take a short phone break. Staying connected is important — so is time away from the phone, even for just a little while. Put your phone in another room or in a drawer and give yourself the chance to explore other ways to enjoy the day.
Stand up for 10 minutes. Cutting back on sitting and other sedentary activities has a lot of benefits. If you spend much of the day sitting, try to take regular standing breaks.
Make that doctor’s appointment you may have been putting off. Whether it’s for a health screening, to keep track of a condition, or to get you or your kids caught up on vaccines, these types of visits can have really important benefits.
Read some ingredients lists. It’s best to cut back on ultra-processed food. And one way to do that is to avoid foods with long ingredients lists that are filled with words we don’t recognize.
Go to a park. Spending time in green spaces has proven benefits for physical and mental health.
Say “no, thank you” to whipped cream. Many coffee drinks can come with whipped cream and other extras. It’s best to enjoy coffee without these — at least most of the time. They can add a lot of sugar, unhealthy fats and calories.
Give plain yogurt a try. It can take a little getting used to, but plain yogurt is usually better for us than the higher-sugar, highly flavored yogurts. A great way to start is by mixing half plain yogurt with half flavored yogurt or adding fresh or frozen berries for natural sweetness and flavor.
Pick something new from the produce aisle. Break the regular routine and try a fruit or vegetable you’ve never had before. You may just find a new favorite.
Set out your workout clothes the night before. Make it as easy as possible to get dressed and out the door for your morning walk or gym class.
Say “yes” to sleep. Good sleep helps with many parts of health and wellness. So, when it’s time for bed, make it a priority so you can get the seven to nine hours most adults need.
Visit smokefree.gov. If you smoke and want to quit — or are just curious about quitting — this is a great place to start. There are also resources for supporting family and friends who may want to quit.
A great thing about these small changes is that they can often be relatively easy to make as well as to keep up over time. While it’s good to have bigger, longer-term health goals — like walking 30 minutes every day or cutting out sugary drinks — these types of smaller changes help build toward those and can be a powerful start.
