Family Goal Setting: 6 Healthy Ideas to Get Started

GE Privacy

Introduction: protecting your privacy, enhancing your online experience

When it comes to data privacy, protecting your personal information is most important. We feel it’s also important to give you, your colleagues, and your family members a voice in the development of this web site and your overall experience with it. To do this, we need to collect certain types of information to help us evaluate how the HealthAhead web site is being used, so we can continually improve your experience and the content we offer to you. By tracking overall usage patterns, providing an easy channel for your feedback, and allowing you to tell us what content is most useful to you, we can refine our offerings and provide more of the content you personally find valuable.

Overall, we are committed to giving you the option to participate – or not participate – in a manner that’s right for you. Read more for how we do this.

Information we collect and how we use it

Identifiable Information Collecting

All methods of identifying yourself to GE will be optional and opt-in, may be updated by you at any time, and will not be required for all areas of the web site.

We will not collect any identifiable user information from the areas of the HealthAhead web site which do not require SSO (Single Sign On), unique User ID (Identification), and/or Password.

There are areas of the web site that require you to identify yourself to us (authenticate). This allows you to access certain parts of the web site that may otherwise be restricted for privacy and security purposes.

There are also areas that may provide the option to create a personalized profile. The information you provide is optional and what you tell us will determine the level of personalization you will experience.

Access to identifiable information is restricted to internal, administrative personnel and solely for purposes of providing web site support, awarding prizes and other recognition, and customizing the web site content and overall functionality for the user. However, we will also allow you to change your mind and opt-out of sharing personal information with us at any time.

Non-Identifiable Information Collecting

When you visit the HealthAhead web site, we track, collect and report on certain aggregate and non- identifiable information. In other words, the information we collect does not relate to a single identifiable visitor. It tells us things such as how many users visited our web site and what pages they viewed.

This non-identifiable data will be collected and stored in a secure database in the U.S., and may be viewed by GE. We will analyze this information to refine our web site to better reflect user preferences, such as the type of content users are searching for most, and to improve the usability of the web site and the user’s web site experience. The information may also be used for purposes of promoting the web site. The data will not be used for medical analysis or other medical purposes.

Cookies

Like many web sites, the HealthAhead web site uses browser cookies – bits of text placed on your computer’s hard drive when you visit. We use them to tell us things like whether you’ve visited us before, and to help us identify features in which you may have the greatest interest. We also use cookies to track country and language selection.

In the future, we may use cookies to track additional details, such as city and state.

We keep this information unless you don’t wish GE to capture this and choose to delete your cookie history. If you wish to stop accepting new browser cookies, get notification when you receive a new cookie, or disable existing cookies, the “help” portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how. Keep in mind, without browser cookies, you may not be able to take full advantage of all our web site features or have your preferences saved for future visits.

We also use Flash cookies on the web site to enhance your online experience. These are similar to browser cookies, but they store data more complex than simple text. Flash cookies, by themselves, cannot do anything to or with the data on your computer. In addition, Flash cookies cannot access or remember your email address or other personal information unless you provide the information on this web site.

Web Beacons

Certain pages on our web site contain “web beacons” (also known as Internet tags, pixel tags and clear GIFs). These web beacons obtain information such as the time the page was viewed, the type of browser used to view the page, and the information in cookies. Web beacon data does not include IP address. The web beacon data is stored at Google Analytics, a third party (see ‘Tracking and Reporting’ for more information on this technology).

Tracking and Reporting

Specifically we will track, collect and report on the following data using software from Google Analytics. For more information about Google Analytics, including information about how to opt out of these technologies, go to www.google-analytics.com

Our primary metrics include: Poll response rate, repeat visits, number of times content is shared, and visits by country.

The sub-metrics include:

Most Popular Content Types, Most Popular Content Topics, User Pathing, Exit Links, Bounce Rate, Traffic by Source (region), Time on Web site, Visit Time of Day, Unique Views/Page Views, Thumps Up/Down, Most Shared Content, Number of Times Content is Rated, Most Rated Content by Type, Language Selection.

We will also be tracking how much communicators, web site leaders and other HealthAhead operations teams are leveraging the web site to support and align their business, regional and web site specific efforts. Some of these metrics may be tracked using existing support central tools.

These metrics may include:

Number of Content Submissions by Region, Number of non-corporate Driven Promotions by RCs, Number of Promotional Downloads by Region, Support Central Survey

Feedback Form

Your feedback is important to the web site’s ongoing development, so we’d love to hear your opinions and ideas. To contact us, please use this Feedback form. We will not be able to respond directly, but all feedback will be reviewed, evaluated, and factored into future content decisions. Please note: this form is monitored by IT support staff only. Please do not submit any personal or medical information. And thank you in advance!

Poll and Quiz Responses

On the web site, we will conduct polls and quizzes to better understand user activities, attitudes, interests and knowledge across multiple health topics. These polls may also help us serve you better by asking questions that relate to the usefulness of our web site. We will not capture any personally identifiable information through the collection of poll response data. As part of these polls and quizzes, we will capture responses sorted by country. In the future, we may capture responses sorted by additional anonymous demographics such as language, affiliated GE business, work web site location, gender, etc.

Sharing Content with Family and Friends

We want you to share the web site’s content with important people in your life, so most articles, videos and slideshows can be emailed. To do so, we will ask you to provide your name and the recipient’s email address. We simply use this information to send the content as you request. At this time, we do not capture or store your, or the recipient’s, email address. Please see below to learn how we track and report on email sharing activity.

Please also review GE’s Social Media Guidelines

How we protect information

GE maintains administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized disclosure, use, alteration or destruction of any information you provide on this web site. We use secure socket layer (SSL) technology to help keep the information you provide on this web site secure. See ‘Information We Share’ and ‘Information We Transfer’ for additional details.

Information we share

We do not sell or otherwise disclose personal information about our visitors, except as described here. We may share information provided by visitors with service providers we have retained to perform services on our behalf. These service providers are contractually restricted from using or disclosing the information, except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or comply with legal requirements. In addition, we may disclose information about you if we are required to do so by law or legal process; to law enforcement authorities or other government officials; or when we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity.

Information we transfer

We may transfer the information we collect on this web site to other countries where we do business, but only for the purposes described above. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described here unless otherwise required by applicable laws.

Links to other web sites

We provide links to other web sites for your convenience and information. These web sites may have their own privacy statements in place, which we recommend you review if you visit any linked web sites. We are not responsible for the content of linked web sites or any use of the web sites.

Children’s privacy

This web site is not directed to children under the age of thirteen and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of thirteen on the web site. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personal information from a visitor under the age of thirteen, we will delete the information from our records.

Some links on this web site may take web site visitors to web sites that are directed to children. These web sites have their own privacy notices that address children’s privacy. We encourage you to read these privacy notices if you visit any linked web sites directed to children.

Updates to our privacy & data policy

This Privacy & Data Policy may be updated periodically and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our online information practices. We will post a notice on this web site to notify you of any significant changes to our Privacy & Data Policy, and indicate at the top of this policy when it was most recently updated.

How to contact us

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy & Data Policy, or if you would like us to update information we have about you or your preferences, please contact us by visiting our Feedback Form.

Family Goal Setting: 6 Healthy Ideas to Get Started

Living a healthy lifestyle isn't just for adults. Children also need good nutrition, exercise, and sleep to support their growing bodies. Setting goals as a family is a savvy strategy to try and get everyone what they need to be healthy and strong. Better yet, creating some family health goals may help you focus on having more quality, together time -- and a lot of fun along the way.

Before even beginning to plan your family-friendly health goals, it’s important to understand the qualities of a good goal. To be effective at setting and achieving your goals, the Mayo Clinic (CDC) suggests making them “S.M.A.R.T.” It’s a simple acronym that stands for:

Specific: To tell if a goal is specific, identify the requirements and constraints needed to reach the goal. For example, a general goal might be for your family to “lose weight together,” but a specific goal would be to “walk every evening for 30 minutes after dinner together.”
Measurable: To make a goal measureable, think in terms of numbers. For example, how many minutes do you need to spend on an activity per day.
Attainable: Don’t set yourself up for failure by aiming for out-of-sight goals. Choose smaller goals that you can use as stepping stones toward a bigger, long-term achievement. For example, a runner might dream of completing a marathon, but set a short-term goal of running 10 miles a week for two months.
Relevant: Set goals that are clearly related to what you want to accomplish.
Time: Writing down a definite timeline for reaching your goal helps provide a framework for getting the job done.

Now that you know the best practices for goal setting, it’s time to start thinking about your family’s hopes and dreams. Could your family find ways to spend more time together? And better yet, could you devote more family time to healthy activities, like getting active or cooking nutritious meals? We’ve got six simple ideas for how to build more health, wellness, and togetherness into your family’s routine:

1. Family cook-off challenge. Gathering family members together for a healthy cook-off challenge is a fun event geared toward eating right. Suggest that each dish prepared for the cook-off include a fruit, vegetable, whole grain, or low-fat dairy product—or even a certain calorie count. Set up a chart with each family member’s name where they can sign up for their dish, noting which type of nutritious food they’ll bring (and calorie count, if desired). Other health-conscious parameters could include no sugary desserts, no sodas, and no processed snacks.
2. Backyard fitness tournament. It can be difficult to get your whole family to the gym at once, so why not get some exercise in your own backyard? Choose some easy fitness activities that can help family members of all ages work up a sweat, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. Make this measureable by setting a specific number of reps to do for each exercise. For example, to complete the tournament, each person must do 10 pushups, 20 sit-ups, and 30 jumping jacks, and then jog five times around the backyard. If your family has a competitive spirit, time family members for each circuit and see who can complete their exercises the fastest!
3. Group yard work and games. Getting fresh air and exercise while completing chores at the same time is a win-win for busy families. Set aside one hour on the weekend to clean up the yard in a way that’s fun. Rake piles of leaves, and then jump in them together. Compete to see who can pull the most weeds. Reward gardening with a family game of croquet or badminton. An added bonus: If you make your backyard a fun place to be, kids will likely be cheerier when they chip in with outdoor chores.
4. Sunday night healthy dinner. By making an extra-nutritious dinner a weekly ritual, kids can look forward to family face time and avoid scheduling other activities. In addition to the emotional benefits of eating together as a family, you can use this time to model healthy habits. Cook nutrient-rich, low-fat meals with plenty of whole grains, veggies, and lean meat. Have fruit for dessert instead of ice cream, cakes, or cookies. Serve water or low-fat milk instead of soda or juice.
5. Get active with grandparents. Including grandparents in your family health activities can add a special element — and help even more of your loved ones work toward a healthier lifestyle. Set a date for the kids to meet up with their grandparents and plan something active. You might suggest playing together on the beach, visiting a playground, or walking around a museum on a rainy day. Keep the logistics light and the exercise easy and fun.
6. Lights out on time. Kids need plenty of sleep for optimum health, just like adults. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), kids three to five years old need 11 to 13 hours of sleep. Children aged five to 12 need 10 to 11 hours sleep. While busy schedules may make routines difficult for families, the NSF recommends that kids maintain a consistent bedtime. If you’ve gotten off track, dedicate a week to setting healthy sleep habits as a family. Adults also need about eight hours of
sleep, so be sure to wind down early enough to get the rest you need, too.

HealthAhead Hint: Be a Role Model
Research has shown what’s called a “halo effect” among family members when it comes to gaining, and maybe even losing, weight. This means family members tend to either all gain weight, or all lose it. Researchers suggest this is largely because they share similar eating and exercise habits. With this in mind, think about what kind of influence you’d like to make on your own family when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, and exercising often. Your own healthy choices may help ensure that your kids stay healthy too.