Be a Positive Role Model

More than two-thirds of the obese children I see in my clinic are brought in by obese parents. Because healthy eating is a lifestyle rather than a fad, it needs to be a family affair that is instituted at an early age. The children with the best dental hygiene are those who have made a habit of brushing their teeth at least two times a day for at least two minutes at each brushing. Healthy eating, like regular tooth-brushing, can also be made a habit.

Children resemble you not just because you've given them various combinations of your genes but also because they adopt your mannerisms. Your kids are constantly observing you and modeling their behavior after yours, and they will follow the example you set with your eating. If they observe you overeating, gaining too much weight, and then fad-dieting, they will wrongly assume that this is the appropriate way to eat and live.

Set a dietary example by eating the same foods that you want your children to eat. Keep the quantities of food you eat moderate and choose foods that are low in fat and salt and high in fiber. You set a great example when your children observe that exercise is a part of your daily routine. Remember, teaching your kids to be healthy eaters for life starts with you, so buckle up and get ready for the ride.

More on: Healthy Meals for Families

Excerpted from:

From Raising Healthy Eaters: 100 Tips for Parents by Henry Legere, M.D. Copyright © 2004. Used by arrangement with The Perseus Books Group.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.