Many clients come to me for guidance on how to get their kids to eat healthier.   Either their kids are “picky eaters” or love food so much they are borderline overweight and the doctors are concerned about their well-being.   With 1 out of 3 children in this country obese, it is no wonder that education about what our kids should be eating is so important.  Jamie Oliver has started a “Food Revolution” in schools and also somewhat in homes, making the awareness even bigger.

Sadly, I also see parents, moms in particular, who are so focused on being thin that they don’t really set good examples for their children.  They skip meals, pick at their food, or obsess about their bodies in front their kids.   Sometimes I think moms are skinnier than their teenage daughters.

Last is the parents who are very into healthy eating and exercising for themselves yet when it comes to their children, anything goes.  This past weekend I was relaxing at a pool where I noticed several parents in good shape and definitely eating healthy while their kids were extremely heavy.  Are you thinking maybe it’s hereditary?  Well after swimming for awhile (which is a great outdoor physical activity!) the kids ordered snacks.  What were their snacks of choice? Doritos and soda.  Now obviously I don’t know what goes on in this household on a regular basis but I think it is pretty safe to say the “rules” about less healthy snack choices are quite lenient when it comes to the children.

Parents, you are role models for your children!  They look to you for guidance, support and of course nurturing (a.k.a. what to eat) so please treat the well-being of yourselves and children with the utmost importance, because they are.