The recent findings on a study about children and snacking "suggest a possible increase in the severity of the national childhood obesity epidemic.   "Our kids didn't do this to themselves," said Michelle Obama.  Parents, educators and policymakers all hold responsibility for this; Michelle Obama told the School Nutrition Association conference in Washington on Monday."   Read the full article at
Snacks mean U.S. kids moving toward constant eating to learn more.

Parents, you're responsible for the well being of your family.  Does your family have a history of obesity or being overweight?  If they do, make a decision today and do something about it.  It's not too late to make healthy choices that will benefit you and your teens in the long run.

Many parents work one or more jobs and rely on fast food and easy meals.  This is why the fast food drive-thru is usually jammed pack.  Instead of eating fast food, cook healthy meals ahead of time and freeze them.  This is something that could be done on the weekend.  In fact, you could get your teens involved and make it a family event!

Tips to curbing the appetite of teens

1.  Buy healthy foods such as lean meat, fruit, and vegetables.
2.  Pickup nutritious snacks such as granola, nuts, peanut butter, trail mix, dried fruit, and other healthy snacks.
3.  Make sure your teens eat a well-balanced breakfast before they leave for school.
4.  Encourage your teens to drink water instead of soda.  Cut down on the amount of soda you purchase.  Watch out for fruit juices because they're full of sugar and can be worse for your kids than soda.
5.  Don't go to fast food all of the time.  If you do visit fast food restaurants, make healthy choices.  Opt for sauces and salad dressing on the side and check the nutritional content before you make your purchase by visiting your favorite fast food restaurant's website.  Subway is a good choice!

Parents you can help curb the appetite of teens.  If you love your teen, you'll throw out the junk food today and replace it with healthy foods.  Splurging once in awhile is all right.  When you do it every day that becomes a problem.  Step up to the plate and incorporate dietary changes today, tomorrow you and your family will receive a "clean bill of health" from your primary care physician.