You probably know by looking around that there is a childhood obesity epidemic, and you might even have some concerns about your own children. If they don’t have a weight problem now, that’s good news, but it shouldn’t stop you from being proactive with your family’s health into the future.

As you well know, children are so impressionable, and most of what they learn comes from observing their parents’ habits. There won’t be a better time to take your kids under your wing and teach them healthy habits that will sustain them throughout their lifetime.

We only have their attention for a short time and as they get older (into their teens and young adulthood) it will shift from you to their friends. If you’ve taken the opportunity to model a life of healthy eating and fitness activities, there is a much better chance that they’ll continue to eat healthy and stay fit, even after the peer pressure mounts.

♥  Start Early

It is never too early to instill healthy habits. Some studies have shown that children who were breastfed tended to maintain a more normal weight than children who were bottle fed. One reason for this could be due to our desire to get our babies well fed and sleeping through the night as soon as possible, resulting in overfeeding — something that breast feeding naturally curtails. If you are bottle feeding, resist the urge to add cereal flakes when your baby is crying late at night. Our impulse is to get our baby sleeping longer, and it makes sense that a full tummy will help them sleep. However, your baby could be getting way too many calories.

Other parents are in a rush to introduce solid foods to their baby. Following most guidelines, your child will probably be fine without solid foods as late as nine or ten months of age. It won’t hurt to hold out as long as possible if that’s what you and your doctor decide. A child’s digestion and fat burning capabilities are built for your breast milk for quite some time. So, don’t rush a solid diet.

♥  Stay as “Natural” as Possible

The healthiest foods are found around the perimeter of a grocery store. This is where the fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, and eggs are. Avoid the prepackaged, pre-made foods and mixes in the center of the store. They are usually loaded with additives like sugars, salt, and fats.

Introduce a new fruit or vegetable each week to your child. Let them get the natural taste of food without adding any condiments. We often forget that condiments are there to suit our tastes. Children don’t feel that a food is bland without them because they have never tasted the food before. They may like it that way.

Offer healthy snacks. It may be easier at first to grab a prepackaged snack like pudding packs or cookies, but try to get into a routine of preparing healthy snacks ahead of time so they’ll be available as the need arises. Even unsweetened Cheerios are a better choice than snacks marketed for little hands. Throw a few Cheerios and raisins in a small ziplock bag and your little one will be thrilled.

Avoid sodas and try to prevent your child from acquiring a taste for it. They are loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup and this chemical is being looked as as possibly the number one reason for the diabetes epidemic we are now facing.

♥  Healthy Stress Relief

Little ones need to learn coping mechanisms. Teach them how to deal with difficult situations so they can use those skills as they get older. This goes well for you, too. Instead of reaching for a bag of chips when you are stressed, show them that you have good coping skills as well. Use your stressed-out energy to chop up some celery and carrots or go outside and hop on your bike. Do some somersaults if you have to. Your kids will see you burning off your frustrations in healthy ways and will naturally want to join you. Be an example for your kids of the right way to fight stress and burn energy.

It is never too early to start when it comes to preventing childhood obesity. Start today and use these simple strategies to ensure that your family will get healthy and stay healthy and avoid the specter of childhood obesity from every haunting your doorstep.