Q. I keep hearing about childhood obesity. What can I do now to make sure my 5- and 7-year-olds learn healthy eating habits?
A. You’ve definitely got the timing right: Now is the time to start. Not only can you establish healthy eating habits, you can also influence the chemistry of your kids’ bodies so that they are less likely to get fat as adults.
All the talk about childhood obesity is not just media hype. The number of children who are overweight or obese is increasing at an alarming rate. These kids are at much higher risk for developing serious health problems as adults — high blood pressure, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.