Be a role model!

It saddens me to see adults that struggle with their weight, but chubby kids really bum me out. In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled for children and quadrupled for teens.Obese children are more likely to suffer from pre-diabetes and cardiovascular disease earlier in life than their normal weight peers. In addition, overweight and obese kids are more likely to develop esophageal, cervical, colon, breast, pancreatic, ovarian and other cancers. Finally, heavy kids are more socially isolated and depressed and less likely to find partners as adults.But let's face it- kids weren't born craving French fries and doughnuts. Obesity in children is often due to their environment- too many high calorie foods and beverages and not enough food in their food!It's time for parents to be better role models for their kids. Want your kids to drink water and not soda? Drink more water and don't buy soda. Serve your kids vegetables and fruit- not chicken nuggets and boxed mac and cheese. Kids need to be exposed to healthier foods from the start.Take your kids for a hike on a sunny day- not a dark movie theater. Take them grocery shopping instead of a fast food restaurant. Teach them to cook. Don't use food for rewards. I find it ironic that we make our kids "eat everything on their plates" before giving them dessert. It's as if we're rewarding our kids for overeating! Serve them smaller servings at meal times and have a reasonable dessert as part of dinner.Healthy weight starts at home. Encourage family meals with healthy options. Prevent them from struggling with their weight as they go through life. It starts with us.