Healing a Generation with Christy Swaid on Childhood Obesity and Community Health

Christy Swaid has never been one to stand still. After conquering the world of jet ski racing, she turned her focus from personal endurance to collective wellbeing, building a mission around one of the greatest challenges of our time, childhood obesity. Through her organisation HEAL United, Swaid has transformed the way communities think about movement, nutrition and self-worth. What began as a drive to educate has become a movement that is reshaping futures, one child and one household at a time.

In this second interview, Swaid opens up about the power of education, the importance of empathy and the small but meaningful changes that can transform lives. From stories of young children leading their families towards better health to her belief that real change begins with awareness, Swaid shares a perspective that is as practical as it is profound.

Childhood obesity is one of the great challenges of our time. What first moved you to take on this mission?

Health is foundational to my life and after dealing with so many injuries and transforming my body to adapt to optimal character roles for stunts, I deeply understand and appreciate effective movement and nutrition. Not just a life of diet and exercise but truly using food and movement to heal and empower my body. For children a lot of what is missing is education and how important it is to teach kids how to make healthier choices for themselves as early as possible. If I can help children and their home support system to make that connection with healthy food and movement then I feel like I've accomplished something in this fight against childhood obesity. Obesity gets all the headlines but there are many people who are not obese yet they live with chronic diseaseses that align with poor nutrition and movement habits. HEAL is careful to never target people living with obesity. We make sure every human feels responsible to take control of their health.

Through HEAL United you have seen communities transform. Can you share a story that still moves you today?

Each and every healthy transformation has moved me, both micro and macro. The tools we provide may seem small, but simple things can become the catalyst that promotes lifelong change for them, their families, and entire communities. One of our students, for example, received our calendar and home play workbook in school - because of the violence in her neighborhood she felt unsafe playing and exercising outside. Using the calendar and HEAL-Homeplay activities,  as a schedule for exercise and nutritious meal planning she and her family were able to unlock a sustainable system that encouraged a healthy diet and exercise they otherwise did not have access to. She was a 5th grader, only ten years old. She singlehandedly changed her household’s hopelessness and depression.  The family reported that HEAL gave this young student the knowledge and inspiration to transform the lifestyle of the whole family. This is a family living in an impoverished, violent neighborhood. HEAL helped Darenna feel self-worth and gave her the tools to improve her life and the lives of the ones she loved. Thousands of testimonies like this are shared with us each year. Wins like this bring me so much determination to keep going and effect more lives for the better. This is what drives me to get up and keep working hard to make a difference. My team works for these outcomes. No one gets paid enough to do the work that is required of us. It is a calling, a purpose, a fulfilling blessing.

Many parents feel overwhelmed by conflicting health advice. What are three simple things families can begin doing immediately to improve wellbeing at home?

Oh this is a good one. 1. Cook with your family and focus on whole foods. Even if it's not all organic, even if it isn't the healthiest ingredients, making your own food. Seeing what goes into a meal, appreciating the effort, sitting to eat something you had a part in - these simple things really begin to build a child’s relationship with food and with people. People plus food relationships are central to mental, emotional, and physical health. Lay the groundwork and they can build upon it. 2. Go for a walk after dinner. Provided it isn’t too late and that it is safe to do so, a simple 10 minute walk around the block is great for your blood sugar and metabolism plus social bonding. The social piece is as nurturing as the physical activity. 3. Get a handle on your sleep routine. Sleep is so important, it’s such an important bodily process for function and detoxification. It's easy to stay awake on a screen, eliminating late night blue light from devices can make a huge difference in your sleep and therefore your health. Read something that is actually printed on paper. 

Health inequality is a subject that often feels distant until you see it in your own community. How do you approach bridging those gaps?

Education. Not just for the people suffering inequality but for the others in their community. A lot of people aren't aware of the gaps because they don't see them everyday. The more we know and understand how others are surviving, even in our own community right under our noses, the faster we can create a healthy change. I believe people are inherently good and when you know better, you do you better. 

What role do schools play in shaping healthier futures and what more could be done at national level?

A huge role! Children spend more time awake and alert in school than anywhere else. We need to invest in our children and youth at the national level. Healthy food and movement programs, physical education the HEAL United way covers all the essentials, gardening programs help develop a healthy appreciation for resources, there are so many ways to inspire our youth without body shaming them with physical fitness awards.

As a mother and as a health coach how do you balance the science with the emotional side of helping children change habits?

It's all encompassing. It's all related. The emotional side just comes natural now as a mother and an advocate for families. I’m fully aware of the dangers and consequences of neglecting simple healthy lifestyle behaviors. That knowledge drives me to be intent.  When you become a mother your capacity for caring for and appreciating others becomes an enormous part of your world. Science is a tool but the emotional capacity to care for people - regardless of their circumstance - is just human.