weight Archives - Happy Healthy Kids

Why Active is More Important than Thin

April 1, 2016 by Kelley 1 Comment

From magazine covers to reality TV to body-negative chatter on the Internet, we’re surrounded my messages that it’s good—paramount, perhaps—to look fit. But someone can look physically healthy and not be—even in childhood, as important new research shows.

In a study led by Mount Sinai Hospital researchers in New York City and funded by the U.S. Department of Health, 1.5 million teens were given physical fitness assessments, and then tracked as adults—up to age 62. Turns out that young people with poor aerobic fitness and low muscle strength had triple the risk of diabetes later in life, regardless of their body mass index (BMI). Kids who were active, but heavier, were still protected against diabetes—likely due, researchers say, to the way that physical activity helps regulate the hormone insulin. Insulin sensitivity is the main factor in the development of diabetes. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes—a number that’s rising at an “alarming” pace, according to CDC officials.

These findings bring home two important messages that are crucial to pass on to our kids. One, that “thin”—no matter how good it looks poolside or on the cover of US Weekly—can still be unhealthy. And, two: that being active might be the most important thing you can do for your health.

We’ve shared lots of ideas for keeping kids moving on this site, including teaching them silly, old-school neighborhood games, giving them access to great outdoor toys, and playing fun games en famile, from the driveway to the beach. For older kids, organized sports are obviously a terrific way to combine physical activity with a social outlet. But as we’ve noted before, kids who aren’t into the team thing can get the same physical and emotional benefits by participating in lower-stakes recreational games and less mainstream physical activities, like yoga or a running club.

The key: Teaching kids from very early on that physical activity is not only fun but helps you feel good—and most important, modeling that message ourselves. If you’re inclined to stick the scale in a back closet—and perhaps pull out the jump rope or hand weights you stashed in there sometime during the Bush administration—we’d be supportive of that too.

Photo credit: “Hooray for Summer!” via Photo Pin, cc

Do Plastic Containers Harm Kids?

August 7, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

For years, I’ve read reports that certain ingredients in household plastic containers and bottles may be linked to health problems in children. But formal government and medical guidelines are scant, and objective, expert-sourced information can be hard to find. Plus, it’s not really something that comes up with the pediatrician. So I’ve continued to reheat and reuse a vast array of containers, mostly name-brand products but also those handy vessels that prepared foods often come in. After all, when you have three perpetually peckish, on-the-move young kids, is anything more convenient in the kitchen than lightweight, transparent, microwaveable containers—that are available in just about any size and shape your organization-hungry heart can possibly want?

But then I connected with Leonardo Trasande, M.D., an associate professor of pediatrics at New York University and one of the country’s foremost researchers on the effect of environmental chemicals on kids’ health. He led a 2012 study associating Bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical used in household plastics, with obesity in children, and more recently, published a paper strongly linking two types of phthalates—another group of chemicals used in plastics manufacturing—with high blood pressure and diabetes in kids and teens. Ironically, phthalates have been added to some plastic products to replace other, seemingly more suspect chemicals in recent years.

What he told me has effectively changed the way I shop for, cook with, and even clean the plastic in my kitchen for good.

First, I asked Dr. Trasande what his big takeaway from his many years of plastic research. “Diet and a lack of physical activity are the main drivers of the epidemic of obesity and metabolic concerns we are seeing in children today,” he told me. “But this study adds further concern that chemicals in the environment are independent contributors.”

Then I asked him about his “rules” for using plastic food and drink containers. (He’s the dad of two boys, 7 and 5.) Here’s what he does; and advises others to do, too.

1. Look at the bottom of plastic containers before buying, and avoid ones with the recycling codes 3, 6, and 7.
A lot of companies now include “BPA-free” and “safe for microwave” on plastic container labels. But the real test, according to Dr. Trasande, is looking at the bottom of a bowl or bottle for its recycling code. Numbers from 1 to 7 indicate the chemicals used in the product, and some are more worrisome than others. “The number 3 means phthalates, which raises the possibility of contamination into liquid,” he says. He also advises families to avoid plastics with a 6 (polystyrene, often made in products meant to rigid) or 7 (a catch-all for miscellaneous “other” chemicals, including polycarbonate, which is produced using BPA).
I looked at the bottom of some of the containers in our house the other day. Most of our food storage containers had 5s and our beverage bottles were marked with 1s (relatively safer choices). But our Solo cups and lids were marked with 6s. And those styrofoam cups which hold endless cups of coffee and hot chocolate that are often reheated in the microwave? All marked with a 6. Our clamshell-shaped Chinese take-out containers, too.

2. Opt for wax paper or aluminum foil to wrap food whenever possible—and request that your deli and butcher counters do the same.
Most companies have eliminated BPA and phthalates from household wrap, but it’s harder to monitor what’s being used in products sold at the supermarket. Regardless, “using paper or foil reduces the amount of contact that (all) plastics have with food,” says Dr. Trasande. Plastic chemicals are especially likely to migrate into fatty foods like meats and cheeses.

3. Don’t microwave plastic.
This goes for any kind of plastic container or wrap, in Dr. Transande’s book, regardless of recycling code. “When you cook foods at these high heats, you’re inviting plastics to melt at a microscopic level and travel into your food,” he says. Stick with glass or ceramic instead.

4. Don’t wash plastic in dishwasher.
This is one I’d never thought of. “Use soap and water in the sink instead,” says Dr. Trasande. “Harsher detergents etch the plastic and increase absorption into liquids and foods.”

5. Pitch plastic that’s become scratched up.
Once plastic is “etched,” that increases the odds of chemical leaching, Dr. Trasande says.

6. Don’t reuse plastic drink bottles.
If plastic bottles were meant for single use, keep them that way, advises Dr. Transade. “Besides, reusing them raises the chance of bacterial contamination.”

Plastic may be ubiquitous these days, and keeping track of every odd container that comes from a store or restaurant may be futile. But making a few better choices at the kitchen and grocery store? That, I think I can do. For more information about Dr. Transande’s research, visit his page at NYU School of Medicine, here.

Confronting Kids’ Weight Problems

May 21, 2015 by Kelley 1 Comment

More than 96% of parents of overweight preschoolers and 79% of parents of obese youngsters believe their child is the “right” size, say researchers at New York University and two other medical centers. A new study in the research journal Childhood Obesity compared parental perceptions to those of two decades ago, and found that while proportionally far more kids are clinically overweight or obese these days, the vast majority of parents believe their kids’ weight is “just about right.”

The stat is obviously worrisome—so much so that David Katz, M.D., the editor-in-chief of Childhood Obesity and a Yale physician, has coined a new phrase for what our generation of parents apparently suffers from: oblivobesity. But when it comes to the ages of the kids in question in this particular study—2- to 5-year-olds—it’s also, admittedly, relatable. I have one child who has a slightly high BMI, and yet is super-active, happily eats a wide range of fruits and veggies, and doesn’t really look overweight. It’s hard to imagine he has a “problem”—at least one that won’t shake out as he grows.

Wanting some perspective, I spoke to Julie Kardos, M.D., a Philadelphia pediatrician and one-half of Two Peds in a Pod, the blogging team who serves on Happy Healthy Kids’ advisory board. She shares her thoughts about “oblivobesity,” why we shouldn’t tell kids they need to “lose weight,” and a wake-up call when it comes to kids’ portion control.

Q. Were you surprised to learn that almost all parents believe their overweight child is the “right” weight?

A. We were struck with how high the number was, but honestly, we see so many parents who don’t have a realistic view of their child’s weight. And it’s not just overweight kids’ parents. Though far fewer relatively speaking, parents of children who are underweight often think their children are normal weight.

Q. How do you explain it?

A. You often see family patterns. Parents who are overweight, too, are often apt to think they’re children are at a fine weight, because it’s what they live with themselves. Also, it may be a reflection of societal trends. More and more adults are overweight. Clothing stores are accommodating by making sizes roomier—a 6 is sized closer to what an 8 or 10 was when we were growing up. Overweight has become the new “normal” for many people.

On the flip side, I also see many parents who think their kids have a weight problem when in reality they are just fine. Often, parents of boys who are normal weight are convinced they are underweight. This may also be a reflection of parents—in this case their own weight insecurities or concerns.

Q. I think a lot of parents think—and are often told by other, well-meaning adults—that their kids will grow out of the baby weight naturally, and being overweight as a child is no big deal.

A. It’s not a great stance to have, actually. Weight patterns are hard to reverse because you become more and more ingrained in your eating habits as you age. And being overweight and obese are associated with a long list of health problems. In the short term, heavier kids have a harder time exercising, or simply just being active in the way kids should. They often have a tough time doing simple, everyday things like getting on exam table. Often their dental health suffers because of poor eating habits. And they are more likely to get teased. In the long term, overweight is associated with heart problems, joint problems, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Q. If you find a child to be overweight, how do you talk to families about it?

A. Telling kids they need to “go on a diet” or “lose weight” usually isn’t helpful. Talking to them about the importance of sticking to their current weight for the next year as the continue to grow taller sits a lot better. We’ll often say, “you’ve gained enough weight for this year—let’s watch what we eat, and get lots of exercise, and let your height catch up.”

Q. What would be your top tips for parents who want to help overweight kids do just that?

A. First, make healthy eating a family affair. Stock up on more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grain snacks, and eat them yourself—there’s little chance a child who struggles to eat healthily is going to happily accept a piece of fruit for snack if you or a sibling is eating a candy bar. Think about how much food you serve to a small child: Often, parents serve their 6-year-old the same portion they serve to themselves, even if that child is less than half their size. Serve small portions, and then allow them to ask for more if they are still hungry. Before serving them seconds, or a snack right after a meal, set a mental (or even an actual) timer to 20 minutes, and then check in again to see if your child is still hungry. Often, that’s how long it takes for your stomach to acknowledge that it’s full. Chances are, they’ll be off playing and the hunger pang will have gone away. Finally, make sure you schedule those annual well visits with your pediatrician. This study shows us that it can be very hard for parents to have a good sense of whether their children are at a healthy weight. Pediatricians can give you perspective, good advice—and a contact number for a nutritionist if you need extra help.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Bear Holder

March 3, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

This is not a scientific observation, but I think it’s safe to say that among most inhabitants of a northern latitude, body image doesn’t exactly peak this time of year. When the seasonal trends lean toward freezing temperatures, flu outbreaks, and post-Valentine’s day chocolate sales, many of us are tempted to put on yoga pants, put off exercise, and throw a drop cloth over the full-length mirrors.

Suffice it to say, I was a little mopey this morning when attempting to find suitable attire for a trip to an indoor water park with the boys at the end of the week (a prospect gloomier to many than mid-winter thigh exposure, I realize). I dug around the bathing drawer and pulled out the black Speedo that’s seen me through seven years of Mommy-and-Me swim classes, and pulled it on.

“Ugh!” I muttered to myself, catching a glimpse in the mirror.

A little voice piped up behind me. It was my three-year-old son, who was holding a stuffed bear in the crook of one arm, and a box of Mini Wheats in the other. “Fast!” he said, reaching a tiny hand up to touch the shiny black material that stretched over my hip. “You look fast, mommy!”

I had to laugh. My son didn’t see the flaws that were obvious to me. He saw a material that resembled something worn by Catwoman in the book we had read the night before, Feline Felonies, and maybe even a not-yet-totally-atrophied muscle or two. What is a Speedo for, after all, but speed? To my pre-pubescent boys, a bathing suit—whether for them or mom or the sassy 18-year-old lifeguard at the pool—still has nothing to do with looking good, and everything to do with what you can do in it.

Unfortunately, kids of both sexes seem to be losing sight of this at earlier and earlier ages. A few years ago, I wrote a Parents magazine article, “Kids Who Won’t Eat”, and found that rising awareness about childhood obesity has been a bit of a double-edged sword, as an obsession for body and diet perfection in some circles seems to be trickling down from parents to kids. A recent report by Common Sense Media, meanwhile, showed that half of girls and one-third of boys ages 6 to 8 think the ideal body size is thinner than the one they have. Some of this has to do with what kids see on their phones and TVs, with the rise of the Photoshopped selfie and increasingly unrealistic media portrayals (a whopping 87 percent of teenage TV characters are underweight). But some of it has to do with the way we respond to those media images, directly or indirectly, ourselves. According to Common Sense’s data, five-to-eight year olds who think their moms are dissatisfied with their bodies are more likely to be bummed out by their own bodies, too.

Parenting experts talk a lot about role modeling behavior for our kids: that the best way to get them to do something is to do it ourselves. Clearly, this extends to treating our bodies with respect. This means eating well, not smoking, and exercising, yes, but also not bad-mouthing the body parts that have served us—and them!—through childhood, childbirth, and child-rearing. In another recent study, when kidshealth.org and Discovery Girls magazine asked 2,400 women if they thought they were beautiful, only 41 percent of moms responded yes. But when their daughters were asked if their mothers were beautiful, 91 percent said yes. How else are they going to feel about the person who’s created them, fed them, stayed up all night with them when they were sick or scared, and hurdled waves to save a broken toy pail they loved? My guess is that when these children say their moms are beautiful, they aren’t considering rock-hard abs or perfectly groomed eyebrows in the mix.

As winter turns to spring and we emerge from our homes and our chunky sweaters, I’m going to think back to my three-year-old’s comment whenever I start to question whether I have any business wearing a certain article of clothing, or trying a new exercise class, or jumping off the golf club diving board. There are few things that wear better than contentedness and confidence, and they can be passed down, to girls and boys, both.

Simple, Sneaky Nutrition Boosters

February 11, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

I’ve never been a huge fan of relying on “sneaky” nutrition when it comes to kids’ diets. It’s not the subterfuge that bothers me; it’s the lack of real progress. Scientists say it can take more than 10 tries of a certain food before a child will like it: If the only way you prepare zucchini is to bury it in a loaf of chocolate chip bread (granted, a recipe I love), how are you training kids’ palates to accept the food? Not to mention that “sneaky” recipes—which invariably seem to rely on purees and the like—are usually twice as time-consuming and complicated than our busy life can bear.

And yet: I have three children who are on the picky spectrum, and getting at least one to try a new food one time, much less 10, is hugely challenging to us both. So I’m all for making quick-and-painless ingredient swaps and additions that nudge up nutrition, healthy fats, and calories without sacrificing taste. Here are some easy ideas.

Kids and Strength Training: A Good Idea?

February 10, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Our town recreation department recently started offering Crossfit classes—for kids. That was a surprise: I’ve always associated Crossfit—the high-impact, strength-boosting exercise movement that’s swept the nation—with hardcore (and hard-bodied) adults. The idea of kids doing burpees—and not the kind for laughs at the lunch table—seemed a little…much?

At the same time, I knew that strong muscles can help protect against many sports-related injuries. Also, gym-related fitness is a great alternative for kids who aren’t drawn to traditional competitive sports. The question: what can kids who are interested in getting stronger do that can help—and not hurt—growing bodies? So I checked into the research, spoke with my husband (a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine) and consulted with physical education expert Curt Hinson, Ph.D., a Happy Healthy Kids advisory board member. Here are some takeaways:

1. Strength training can be really good for children and teens… Studies have demonstrated that well-supervised programs, especially ones performed twice a week for at least 8 weeks, can safely and measurably increase kids’ strength, and may also help decrease the risk of certain injuries. This is important to note as youth sport competitions continue to grow more intense and competitive, leading to the type of injuries—like A.C.L. tears—that used to only plague adults.

2. …But it’s imperative that kids do the right kind of strength training. The safest and best type of weight training regimen for kids should involve light weights, and high repetitions. Make sure kids are not doing any type of explosive, powerlifting moves, whether with weights or medicine balls or kettle bells or (as might be the case in our house) unwilling younger siblings. Lifting super-heavy objects can throw a skeletally immature child off balance, and overstress their joints.

Even better for kids are resistance-based moves that don’t involve any weights. So, certain Crossfit staples, like squats, mountain climbers, and, yes, burpees can be safe and beneficial for kids, if done with controlled, supervised movements. Most strength training injuries occur on home equipment, with unsafe behavior and in unsupervised settings. Make sure you or another trusted adult is monitoring your child when he or she is working out.

3. Hold off on encouraging your child to try any strength-training program until they are 8 years old. Because it’s around this time that children achieve adult-level balancing skills, which are needed to do strength-training moves safely and effectively, experts recommend parents hold off on letting their children embark on any muscle-building programs until this age.

4. Make sure you put the benefits of strength training in perspective for kids. Remind kids that muscle isn’t the magic bullet to sports success (or popularity or attractiveness, for that matter.) It’s important that kids know the risks of pushing their bodies too hard, as well as the dangers of supplements and pills that purport to make them bigger or more “cut.”

5. Check out the IronKids app if your child shows interest in getting stronger. The AAP has created a great, $3.99 app called IronKids, which features lots of safety tips as well as a 45-minute, kid-friendly “IronStrength” workout. Do it together with your kids—it’s a great way for you to keep tabs on their progress and fit a workout in at the same time.

How Screens Sabotage Kids’ Sleep

January 6, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

It’s old news that children who have a television set in their rooms get less sleep than ones who don’t. But a big, multi-center study on fourth- and seventh-graders in the journal Pediatrics reveals that smaller screens have an even worse impact on rest. Whereas tykes with their own TV sets get an average of 18 fewer minutes of shuteye per night than other kids, children who sleep alongside handheld electronic devices like tablets and smartphones reported sleeping about 21 fewer minutes per night. They also report just feeling more tired, too.

If 21 minutes doesn’t seem like a lot, consider that most kids are already short on sleep. School-aged children need 10-11 hours; teens require around 9. And yet, studies have shown that only 15 percent of older kids get more than 8.5 hours per night. Some 60% get six or fewer hours. This can have wide ranging impacts: Kids with sleep deficits are more prone to obesity, attention disorders, depression, accidents, and even—this might be worth mentioning to your ‘tween if nothing else seems to resonate—acne.

Lots of parents set up a basket or bowl in which kids have to toss their devices during homework or dinnertime. These rules are meant to foster academic focus and familial relationships. But shouldn’t health be an equal if not greater impetus for a phone handover rule an hour or so before bedtime, too?

I know this is easy for me to say, having children who aren’t yet smartphone owners and therefore have few entertainment options keeping them awake at bedtime. (Nate the Great is a good read, but obviously not as compelling as an instant message from a crush from chemistry will one day surely be.) And yet, parting a kid from what we all know to be a near universally addictive object just makes sense. I know I struggle to tear myself away from my iPhone at bedtime (having my Kindle books and alarm clock on there doesn’t help). I can only imagine what it would be like to be a middle schooler and have unfettered and instant access to friends, boyfriends, gossip, and news. Just 21 minutes? I don’t know if my socially motivated, insecure ‘tween self would have had the self-control to stop there.

Which is why experts say it’s important to not blame or shame kids (i.e., you just can’t control yourself on that thing!) if you institute a rule of no phones and tablets in their rooms in the late evening and overnight. Explain that you’re not punishing them, but looking out for them. ‘Fess up about your own electronic dependencies, too, and walk the walk by leaving your phone charging in the kitchen or living room overnight. Will they balk? Naturally. But they’ll be healthier for it.

Have you found any successful strategies for establishing evening technology limits in your family? Share here, and get some more ideas from this printable family contract for smartphone use at Connect Safely.

Photo credit: John Karakatsanis via Photo Pin, cc

Do You Have Exercise Guilt?

November 24, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Pre-kids, “exercise guilt” might have been induced by a long weekend morning reading The Times rather than jogging around Central Park, or sabotaging a 6 p.m. spin class with a second piece of conference-room birthday cake. Barring a seriously pressing work assignment, whether I worked out or not on most days stemmed from a simple question: Do I feel like it?

Nowadays, there are so many compelling reasons to bag exercise, starting with the two big hazel eyes that tear up as soon as I start to lace up my running shoes on a Saturday or Sunday morning. With three kids, an extra-busy husband, writing assignments, school commitments, and a household to manage, even a short run around the neighborhood can feel like a selfish luxury. Exercise guilt comes not from skipping a workout, but making (precious) time for it.

On the weekends, my husband and I try to trade off, shoehorning exercise between hockey practices or during Dora. Weekdays, I usually make it work on two mornings when all the three boys are in school, an alignment of stars that would have seemed freaking incredible to my newer-mom self a few years ago, when I once actually tried to do calf raises while nursing one day, in a moment of sleep-deprived delirium. But everything is relative, of course, and these days, I often find myself filling that time with extra writing, extra school volunteer projects, or extra time trying to figure out whether Pull-ups are a better deal at Target or Amazon. Before I know it, I’m late to toddler time pickup, and by day’s end, those exercise pants I pulled on that morning will have been pointless.

I realize that this is a first-world problem, and a much bigger issue for full-time working parents with inflexible work schedules. And yet, exercise guilt is incredibly common, says Happy Healthy Kids’s adviser Monique Tello, M.D. A mom of two who specializes in women’s health in her primary care practice in Boston, Dr. Tello deals with exercise guilt on a personal and professional level. Her kids, too, grab her legs when she’s about to head out the door for a run, and her patients often reveal that when they say they’re “too busy to exercise,” they really mean that they feel guilty for taking time that could be spent with their family or at their job.

“Believe it or not, this has actually been studied,” says Dr. Tello, who’s also writing on the topic this week in her own blog, Generally Medicine. “Research has shown that physical activity consistently declines with parenthood.” In a study just last month, Kansas State researchers asked parents why that they think that’s the case, and both dads and moms pointed mainly to a lack of time and, yes, guilt. (One interesting difference: While all parents felt that fitness cut into family time, dads were more likely to feel guilty about exercising in the evening, because it took away from time with their spouse; moms were more likely to feel guilty about exercising during the workday, because it took time away from their job.)

The thing is, while it may seem that “just one more story” or an extra half-hour fielding work emails can feel critical in the moment, a long run might be better for the whole family in the, well, long run. Fitness can help protect against all sort of health problems, from heart failure to depression, and, by and large, happy, healthy parents raise happy, healthy kids. If missing a run or a boot camp class is going to make you cranky, you won’t be a fun person to be around, no matter how many pancakes or Rainbow Loom bracelets you make.

Which doesn’t mean that some very real obstacles—sick kids, traveling spouses, pressing deadlines, pregnancy—aren’t going to prevent you from maintaining the type of hardcore exercise regimen you might have followed as a singleton. But this, says Dr. Tello, is where a little can go a long way, especially when it comes to exercise’s mental benefits. On days she’s unavoidably busy, she’ll do, say, 5 minutes of core work on her bedroom floor after the kids fall asleep, and take the stairs rather than the elevator at the hospital where she works. “When kids see their parents value exercise, they are more likely to value exercise,” she says. “We sometimes do things as a family, like hiking, or kicking a soccer ball around. Someday, I hope we can all run races. Thinking about all that doesn’t just ease the guilt, it erases it.”

I like that line of thinking. During the crazy-busy month ahead, I’m going to resolve to keep doing at least just a little bit most days, no matter how much I have on my plate. (Especially if that plate contains extra Christmas cookies.) Because no one really gains anything if I skip exercise, except for maybe me, and not in a good way.

Photo credit: Thomas Hawk via Photo Pin, cc

How Siblings Influence Kids’ Weight

August 15, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Lending new meaning to the term “big brother”: A recent study of more than 10,000 families finds that siblings are even more powerful than parents when it comes to predicting kids’ weight. Having an obese brother or sister makes a child about five times more likely to be very heavy too, say the study’s researchers, from Massachusetts General Hopsital, Cornell, and Duke University.

Photo by: Johan Sunin via Flickr

There are some obvious potential explanations: Siblings grab snacks out of the same pantry, and usually sit down to the same meals. They often play together, in either sporty or sedentary ways. But the data suggests that some psychological factors may also play a role. Younger siblings are most influenced by an older sibling’s weight if that big brother or sister is the same sex. Kids really do model themselves after the elders closest to them, in so many ways.

So if one child is gaining more weight than is healthy, what can you do to help him—and in turn, his impressionable brothers and sisters? Rather overhauling the heavier child’s diet, take a close look at what you’re feeding the whole family, says Suzanne Rostler, R.D., a nutrition specialist in the Optimal Weight For Life (OWL) clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital, and co-author of Ending the Food Fight. “All family members should be eating in a healthy way, regardless of where they fall on the weight scale,” she says. While sibs may be the focus in this study, she adds, the onus is really on parents, not children, to set family food trends, such as eating mostly fresh, whole foods and limiting highly processed snack foods. (A good rule of thumb: If a snack food has the shelf life of years, it probably isn’t good for your body, regardless of fat and calorie content, Rostler says.) “These habits will trickle down to the oldest child, which will trickle down to younger children,” says Rostler. “And the more you can model good habits, rather than talk about them, the better. A lot of kids we see feel ‘the more you tell me to do this, the less I want to do it.'”

And what if one child has developed a newfound interest in a healthy habit, like eating fruit salads or riding bikes? Excellent: Encourage her to let her sib join in. “Just make sure you don’t frame it as, you (or your sister or brother) need to do this to lose weight,” says Rostler. “Food is emotional, and a comfort for many kids and adults too. If a child is feeling bad because of weight, you risk making them turn to food to feel better, and the cycle continues.”