Childhood obesity is a huge epidemic in America, but it doesn’t have to be. Parents need to take charge of their children’s health and teach them healthy habits. Here are some tasty tidbits:

There are the equivalent of 15 packs of sugar in one soda.

Washington State University did a study: they gave children one can of cola or a candy bar - all that sugar decreased their immune function for 6 hours,

The average American child eats 5 lbs. of sugar per WEEK. That’s the same as an entire standard sized bag of granulated sugar.

Kids should be eating greater than 5 fruits and vegetables per day, and french fries don’t count. An average serving is the size of a child’s palm.

Feed your kids breakfast daily - while you’re at it, feed yourself too.

Avoid restrictive behavior - treats are okay every once in awhile.

Good nutrition prevents 70% of diseases.

TV Time - the AAP recommends no tv under the age of 2. For over age 2, they recommend less than 2 hrs of screen time per day (tv, computer, etc.).

Don’t keep a tv in the room your child sleeps in.

Studies haven’t shown higher IQs from watching Baby Einstein.

Give your kids at least 60 minutes of activity per day - it doesn’t have to be all at once.

Most importantly - the parent must be the role model. Kids will do what you do, not what you say.