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Lead by Example :

Jun 08, 2007

Your child can inherit your eating and exercise habits. You may be unaware that you are a role model of behaviors that your children can pick up. Children usually do as you do, in spite of what you may say. Do any of these fat habits sound familiar?

Do you put butter on everything?

Do you eat mostly meat and potatoes -- rarely chicken, fish or vegetables?

Do you eat candy bars as regular snacks?

Do you insist on dessert at every meal?

Do you pig out when you eat out?

Are second helpings automatic?

Are you a fast eater?

Do you reach for food every time you're stressed out?

Do you consider exercise a chore?

Do you take the elevators instead of the stairs?

If you answered "yes" to more than a few of these questions, you are likely to be contributing to your child's chubbiness.

What does your child's future look like? Is Mom overweight? Does Dad weigh more than he should? If you answered "yes" to both questions, does that mean that your children are destined to be overweight too?The answer is "no, not necessarily." Although the genetic influence is real, it is not the only predictor of a child's future weight. If both parents are overweight, there is a strong likelihood that, without intervention, their child will be an overweight adult. However, making appropriate changes in diet and exercise at a young age can totally change the outcome. In fact, positive behavior changes that children make seem to be more effective than similar efforts by adults, in part because they haven't had the bad habits as long as the grown-ups have. That's one of the most important reasons to help your child adopt healthy habits at an early age.

If you are worried about your weight AND your child's weight, be sure to check out the eDiets Trim Kids program. We offer a wealth of information to keep you and your family on the straight and narrow. Click here to learn more.

Also, there is some evidence that a true genetic predisposition to fatness, as opposed to "inherited" habits that contribute to obesity, can be most effectively overcome with exercise. This may be because exercise can help speed up metabolism that has a heredity tendency to slow down. So if both of your chubby child's parents are obese, you may want to pay particular attention to the exercise columns in the next coming weeks.

What if only one of you is overweight and the other is at a healthy weight? It will be harder to predict how much influence each of your genetics will have on your child. But because she/he may take after the parent who is overweight, it's prudent to take preventive measures as early as you can.

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