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Obesity in children and adolescents is a problem in our culture. Let’s face it – we live in a society of processed food and inactivity – so is it any wonder that so many kids these days are struggling with their weight? Medical journalist Dr. Walt Larimore, author of the book SuperSized Kids, provides a look at the steps parents can take if they choose to ignore their kids’ weight issues.

#1 - Believe that you child's SuperSize status is normal.
#2 - SuperSize their portions.
#3 - Let your kids eat frequently at fast-food restaurants.
#4 - Give your kids lots of soft drinks.
#5 - Don't become your child's healthcare quarterback.
#6 - Consider your kid's SuperSize status their problem and not a family problem.
#7 - Fail to teach your kids good eating habits, especially when they are young.
#8 - Rarely eat together as a family.
#9 - Make impulsive decisions (or, let your kids talk you into impulsive decisions) while grocery shopping.
#10 - Don't involve your entire family in fun physical activity.
#11 - Let family or friends become diet saboteurs for your kids.
#12 - Keep your TV on during meals.
#13 - Let your children or teens sleep less than nine hours per night.
#14 - Let your kids have caffeinated drinks, cocoa or chocolate after 3 p.m.
#15 - Let your kids go to bed as late as they want to. And let them watch TV right until they go to bed.
#16 - Allow your kids to watch all the TV they want.
#17 - Permit your kids to eat or snack in front of the TV or keep the TV on during mealtime.
#18 - Give your child unrestricted TV and Internet access in his or her bedroom.
#19 - Allow your kids to play video games as much as they want to.
#20 - Never exercise with your kids.
#21 - Get some Elmer's and glue your kids to the couch.
#22 - Ignore fruits and vegetables in your children's diet.
#23 - Be sure your children get protein souces chock full of saturated fats, or that are fatty or fried.
#24 - Feed your kids plenty of highly processed foods, sugar-laden food.
#25 - Give your kids several servings each day of highly refined starches, such as white rice, white bread, potatoes without the skin, pasta and baked goods.
#26 - Have your kids drink more soda than nonfat milk.
#27 - Insist that your kids eat or drink full-fat dairy products.
#28 - Give your kids snacks loaded with saturated and trans fats.
#29 - Choose fruit drinks over 100 percent fruit juice for your child.
#30 - Encourage your kids to drink anything but water.
#31 - Feed your kids lots of fried foods.
#32 - Use food as a reward for good behavior.
#33 - Make sure that your kids eat junk food everyday.
#34 - Don't bother to learn the appropriate portion sizes for your child's age.
#35 - Let your child skip breakfast most days.
#36 - Buy your kids high-sugar, low-fiber, highly-processed cereal and soak it with whole milk.
#37 - Don't bother with family meals; let everyone eat when they want.
#38 - Serve food to your children on large plates and then make them eat every bite.
#39 - Ban healthy snacks from your home.
#40 - Never plan ahead for your child's snacks.
#41 - Put your child on a diet.
#42 - Train your kids to eat as quickly as possible.
#43 - Support all moves to cut recess and physical education from your child's school.
#44 - Encourage your child's school to ignore healthy nutritional and activity habits.
#45 - Lobby your child's school to operate plenty of vending machines, stocked with plenty of unhealthy foods and drinks.
#46 - Refuse to get informed about the nutritional and activity environment of your child's school.
#47 - Never volunteer or help out at your child's school.
#48 - Even if it's geographically possible, don't walk your children to school, or let them walk to school.
#49 - Neglect good nutrition and physical activity where you work.
#50 - Believe that you can't make a difference when it comes to yur child's health.

Copyright 2005 by Walt Larimore and Sherri Flynt. All rights reserved. Center Street/Time Warner Book Group.

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