If you want your kid to eat apples, keep fresh fruit where she'll find it -- on the counter.
The mere thought of transforming your family from a junk-food-munching, meal-on-the-go-eating, inadequately exercising bunch into one that's, well, not those things can be pretty daunting. But you'd be surprised by the impact even the most minor changes can make, say James Hill, MD, and Susan J. Crockett, PhD, RD, FADA, authors of Betty Crocker's Win at Weight Loss Cookbook: A Healthy Guide for the Whole Family. They stress that healthy eating habits are family business ‑- and good habits start with the decisions you make. Read on for five manageable changes you can begin to make today ‑- sure to inspire independent, food-savvy young adults down the road.
Let them choose
With 16 percent of children ages 6 to 19 overweight or obese, weight management is a serious issue. In fact, new research from Harvard Medical School and the Children's Hospital Boston reveals that children 8 to 15 who are in the upper half of what's considered a normal weight range are more likely to become overweight or obese adults.
Dr. Hill and Dr. Crockett stress that raising healthy teens and adults starts young ‑- and with letting kids be responsible for their own food choices. "There's a division of responsibility," Dr. Crockett says. "Parents must start out by bringing healthy food into the home, but a child needs to be responsible for when and what he eats."