Do you ever wish your child was more interested in being physically active instead of being plugged into video games and television all the time? Well, you may want to look at your own behaviors. Are you physically active yourself? Do you ever encourage them to go outside and get some exercise while you sit inside and do something sedentary? Research shows that children copy their parents in numerous ways, including behaviors relating to an active lifestyle.

In 2007, an article titled “Children ‘over-imitate’ adults” by Ambika Bhushan, was published in the Yale Daily News. This informative article outlined the belief that children often take a “monkey see, monkey do” approach and that “(Sometimes) children’s ability to imitate can actually lead to confusion when they see an adult doing something in a disorganized or inefficient way.” So ultimately, doing things like counting calories openly and in front of your children, always commenting on amounts of food consumed by yourself and others, or having a disconnect with the foods being eaten and showing that disconnect through negative comments passed about food around the dining table, can really hurt your children in the long run. This might lead them to adopt the same viewpoints you have and carry them throughout their life.

Something simple parents can do is encourage their children to eat at home, together at the table with the family. This will not only strengthen the relationships between each other, but is proven to be healthier for your children. A study in the journal Pediatrics finds that children and adolescents who share meals with their families at least three times per week are less likely to be overweight, eat unhealthy foods or be at risk for eating disorders. Great news for parents, who wants to connect and spend more time with their children anyway!

Nationally, we are recognizing that obesity is becoming a prevalent problem in regards to children and we need to do something about it. A program developed by First Lady Michelle Obama, called the Let’s Move Campaign, debuted on Feb. 9, 2010. The goal is to reduce the epidemic we are seeing with childhood obesity by encouraging healthier food in school lunch programs, better food labeling and more physical activity for children. This is a step in the right direction for America!

Karishma Chainani is a Bastyr University student.