| Healthful eating habits are usually formed long before | | | | positive and negative memories with food. When kids |
| kids start to select their own foods. Little ones adopt | | | | are involved in fun activities, they tend to be snacking |
| the eating habits of their parents. Parents and child | | | | on junk food. The food offered at the park is all about |
| care providers are the first role models that children | | | | hotdogs, ice cream and high sugar goodies. |
| encounter. | | | | The smell of Grandma's cookies baking in the oven |
| Little ones are awesome observers. When kids see | | | | might bring back feelings of love and security. While |
| what is going on in the kitchen, they can make a | | | | the smell of vegetables cooking might invoke a |
| complete dialogue with their invisible friend on how to | | | | negative memory of having to clean the plate of |
| fry french fries or make a salad. | | | | vegetables before getting dessert. |
| In several studies involving the eating patterns of kids, | | | | Bribing a kid to eat nutritiously is a short term strategy |
| researchers found that their eating habits, including | | | | that will almost always backfire. "These contingency |
| preferences for certain foods was traced back to the | | | | strategies are effective in the short run; they elicit the |
| patterns and preferences of their parents. | | | | correct response, says Dr. Fisher, Ph.D, assistant |
| As kids go from from bottles to bacon, they start | | | | profession of Pediatrics at Baylor College of medicine. |
| developing eating habits that follow them throughout | | | | In a study published in the Journal of the American |
| their lives. Healthful eating habits that are started at a | | | | Dietetic Association, Dr Fisher made a direct link to the |
| very early age will follow them through adulthood. | | | | eating patterns of children and their parents. |
| Since it is documented that eating healthy can prevent | | | | Dr. Fisher and her researchers made some fascinating |
| serious illness, it is important that role models start | | | | discoveries surrounding the eating habits of kids. The |
| giving a carrot stick or an apple for a fun treat rather | | | | little ones of parents who consumed lots of fruits and |
| than a sugar filled treat. Little ones eat what they see | | | | vegetables in turn had kids who also consumed the |
| grown-ups eating. | | | | same kinds of foods. Alternatively, parents who only |
| Parents do not notice the major influence that they | | | | encouraged healthy eating but led an unhealthy eating |
| have over what their kids learn to eat. Following the | | | | lifestyle, had kids who consumed low intakes of fruits |
| eating habits of children, research has shown that the | | | | and vegetables. |
| attitudes about food are almost as genetic as the | | | | Little ones will appreciate and react to the power of |
| color of their eyes. This fact puts a lot of stress on | | | | influence. Because nutritious eating habits are as |
| parents. | | | | important for parents as it for the children, the |
| But understanding the far reaching implications of this | | | | commitment to eating healthier will be easy. |
| study will result in healthier little ones and healthier | | | | The moral of the study is that if you want your kids to |
| parents. | | | | follow healthy eating habits, the general rule is you |
| Caregivers can relate to the fact that they relate both | | | | must set an example - don't just tell them. |