Child Health
9 Steps for a Lifetime of Heart-Healthy Eating
Heart Healthy: More than half of adults and about 60% of children in the United States have unhealthy diets, which can contribute to higher rates of health factors such as high blood pressure and obesity. However, these nine key features of a heart-healthy dietary pattern may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk and improve quality of life.
9 Steps for a Lifetime of Heart-Healthy Eating
(Feature Impact) More than half of adults and about 60% of children in the United States have unhealthy diets, which can contribute to higher rates of health factors such as high blood pressure and obesity, and lead directly to poor health outcomes including death from chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
These findings come from the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, which published its “2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health” in its peer-reviewed, flagship journal “Circulation” recommending Americans follow a lifelong healthy eating pattern that may reduce cardiovascular disease risk and improve quality of life based on the latest in evidence-based science.
The statement outlines nine key features of a heart-healthy dietary pattern:
- Adjust energy intake and expenditure to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight: Try to balance how much you eat with how active you are to reach and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits: Include different colors, textures and types of produce. Remember, even canned and frozen can be nutritious and affordable.
- Choose foods made mostly with whole grains: Foods such as whole‑wheat bread, brown rice and oatmeal are typically better choices than refined grains including white bread or rice.
- Choose healthy sources of protein: Shift from meat to plant-based sources such as legumes, including beans, peas and lentils, along with nuts and seeds; regularly consume fish and seafood; select low-fat or fat-free dairy products; and, if red meat is desired, choose lean cuts, avoid processed forms and limit portion size.
- Choose sources of unsaturated fats: Replace saturated fats with healthy unsaturated fats, including those from nuts, seeds, avocados and nontropical plant oils.
- Choose minimally processed foods: Go with foods close to their natural state, with minimal added commercial ingredients, rather than those that are highly processed with additives.
- Minimize intake of added sugars: Limit the sugar-sweetened beverages you drink and the foods with added sugar you eat.
- Choose foods low in sodium and prepare foods with minimal or no salt: Be aware of hidden sources of sodium in prepared and packaged foods, and season food with healthier options such as herbs, spices or lemon instead of salt.
- If alcohol is not consumed, do not start; if alcohol is consumed, limit intake: Alcohol can increase your risk for high blood pressure and other health conditions, so if you don’t drink, don’t start.
“For healthy eating to be more attainable and sustainable, we recommend people focus on their overall eating pattern rather than specific nutrients or foods,” said Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., FAHA, volunteer chair of the scientific statement writing committee and senior scientist and leader of the Diet and Chronic Disease Prevention Directive at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “Every time you choose to make a swap for a healthier alternative, you’re making a step toward a healthier life.”
While the updated guidance is specifically designed to improve cardiovascular health, it’s generally consistent with dietary recommendations for other conditions like Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, some cancers and brain health as well due to shared risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, excess weight and reduced kidney function.
“A healthy dietary pattern can support lifelong health and well-being beyond cardiovascular health,” Lichtenstein said.
To learn more about eating for heart and brain health, visit heart.org/healthydietand talk to your health care provider about what will work best for you.
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Lifestyle
P.F. Chang’s Partners With Starlight Children’s Foundation for New “Spirit of the Zodiac” Giving Campaign
P.F. Chang’s launches Spirit of the Zodiac, a giving campaign supporting Starlight Children’s Foundation with Bao plush purchases and in-restaurant donations.
P.F. Chang’s Launches Spirit of the Zodiac Campaign to Support Starlight Children’s Foundation
P.F. Chang’s is launching a new annual charitable initiative designed to bring comfort to children during hospital stays. The Scottsdale-based restaurant brand announced Spirit of the Zodiac, a giving program inspired by the Chinese zodiac, with its inaugural campaign—Year of the Fire Horse: Spirit of Strength—benefiting Starlight Children’s Foundation.
What the campaign supports
Starlight Children’s Foundation serves more than 800 children’s hospitals nationwide, providing programs such as toy deliveries, hospital gowns, gaming stations, and other experiences intended to help kids feel more comfortable, connected, and supported during medical care.
How guests can participate (Sept. 2–Sept. 30)
From September 2 through September 30, 2026, guests can purchase Bao, a limited-edition horse plushie, for $10 through dine-in transactions at participating P.F. Chang’s restaurants (while supplies last). For each Bao purchased, P.F. Chang’s will donate an identical Bao plushie to Starlight for distribution through its hospital network—up to 20,000 donated plushies.
Guests can also support the campaign by rounding up their checks or making a direct donation in restaurant. The overall effort aims to raise $500,000 to support Starlight’s work with children and families.
Bonus offer for donors
P.F. Chang’s says guests who purchase Bao or make an in-restaurant donation of $10 or more to Starlight will receive an offer for a complimentary appetizer with the purchase of an entrée on a future dine-in visit, valid through October 31, 2026 (restrictions apply; participating locations only).
A story component for families
The campaign also includes a storytelling element: Bao’s journey will be featured in a digital story and an original children’s book by author Jenny Liao and illustrator Adriane Tsai, expected to publish later this month.
What to watch for
P.F. Chang’s and Starlight plan to continue the partnership beyond September, including in-hospital catering and plush deliveries in early October.
For more information, visit www.pfchangs.com/offers/spirit-of-the-zodiac. To learn more about the partnership, visit starlight.org/pfchangs.
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Child Health
Pediatric Cancer Goes Beyond a Victory Bell: How Research and Innovation Improve Survivorship Rates
(Feature Impact) For every tear-jerking video found online of a child ringing a bell that signifies a cancer journey victory, there are dozens, if not more, people working behind the scenes. From leading minds in cancer research to doctors, nurses and support staff, a vast network of people and decades of medical advancements make those moments possible.
In fact, in the last 10 years, the FDA approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. Those breakthroughs – and the children they impact – come with a cost, which is why Hyundai Hope on Wheels has served as a pioneer in increasing survival rates by investing $303 million in pediatric cancer research over nearly three decades.
Those funds have supported more than 1,600 grants to 210 institutions, leading to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials and new drug development while bringing hope at all stages of a child’s cancer journey.
However, there remains work to be accomplished. According to a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that. In fact, more than one-third of respondents said they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard the term but don’t fully understand what it means.
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment, including planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy.
Survival rates continue increasing with scientific and technological breakthroughs, up from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing roughly 40,000 more children surviving their diagnoses. More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by that progress.
For survivors, treatment is just the beginning. Research, follow-up care and long-term funding determine what comes next, and every grant funded and every survivorship program backed means more children reaching adulthood.
According to the survey, more than 80% of adults said they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, creating opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer. Collaboration among leading minds, made possible by funding from organizations like Hyundai Hope on Wheels, has led to the development of comprehensive approaches to help children thrive during life after cancer, including enhanced medical records, AI integration, socioemotional support and combatting long-term side effects.
Find more information and ways you can join the fight by visiting HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
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Child Health
A child rings the cancer bell. Here’s what that moment doesn’t show
Cancer Bell: A child who’s been treated for cancer walks down the hall of a medical facility, nurses and doctors smiling at them from all corners of the room. The child rings a bell, and everyone cheers as the kid hugs their loved ones. These heartfelt videos appear regularly across social media. What helps make each of those moments possible is decades of research and innovation. For every bell-ringing child whose video goes viral online, a longer health journey awaits.
A child rings the cancer bell. Here’s what that moment doesn’t show
(Sheeka Sanahon) A child who’s been treated for cancer walks down the hall of a medical facility, nurses and doctors smiling at them from all corners of the room. The child rings a bell, and everyone cheers as the kid hugs their loved ones. These heartfelt videos appear regularly across social media. What helps make each of those moments possible is decades of research and innovation. In the last 10 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.
For every bell-ringing child whose video goes viral online, a longer health journey awaits. Hyundai Hope on Wheels, which has funded pediatric cancer research for nearly three decades, commissioned a survey to understand how much Americans know about that journey.
As September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, what that journey actually looks like is worth understanding. According to the survey, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that.
When cancer survivorship begins
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. Understanding survivorship this way helps recognize that a child’s cancer journey is about more than reaching the end of treatment. It also includes managing long-term physical, emotional and medical needs that may continue for years to come.
More than a third of U.S. adults say they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard theterm but don’t fully understand what it means.
According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment. Children could face planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation, or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy. Every child’s medical treatment plan is different based on their specific needs, but one thing is clear: Pediatric cancer survivors need ongoing support as they navigate long-term health challenges.
Supporting children to live long, full lives
More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by the progress in pediatric cancer, up 5 points from last year. There’s good reason to be hopeful, too. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate among pediatric cancer patients has increased from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing 40,000 more children surviving their cancer diagnosis.
Survival rates continue to increase thanks to breakthrough science and technology, and higher standards of care. Pediatric cancer research has led to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials, and new drug development.
More than 8 in 10 adults say they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, which creates more opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer.
Methodology
Hyundai Hope on Wheels commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,005 adults throughout the United States. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%. Fieldwork took place March 19-26, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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