Type 2 (formerly known as Adult Onset diabetes) is reaching epidemic proportions among children in the US. This is caused primarily by lifestyle choices. Here are some ways to help your children avoid this epidemic:

1. Turn off the TV and take your kids outside. Sending them outside might feel like “punishment” to them. New research shows that most kids really like spending time with their parents. Go to the playground, walk or ride bikes, play tag or hide and seek. It’s great exercise for both of you.

2. Drive by the drive-thru. Fast food kills. Watch “Supersize Me” and it will be much easier to avoid McDonalds.

3. Make more meals. It doesn’t take very long to put together a meatloaf or healthy pot of soup. You can make some meals over the weekend and freeze them for easy defrosting the day you want to eat them.

4. Begin to “de-junk food” your home. As you eat the junk food in your home, don’t replace it. Or, you can begin to toss it out. Junk food has no reason to exist except to make you fat and kill you young. “Treats” can be anything you decide they are—start with grapes, berries and melons. Kids usually love these.

5. Train for an event together with your kids. Most “runs” have corresponding “walks”. It’s fun to walk everyday when you’re “in training”.

6. Cut up fruits and vegetables and store in the fridge for snacking.

7. If your kids eat too much, give them a sip of grape juice before meals. It’s been shown to easily cut caloric intake by 20-40%!

8. Replace soda with water. Kids get far too many empty calories in sodas. You can put a splash of grape juice in bottles of water for flavor.

9. No more “Clean Plate Club”. Children are naturally in touch with their hunger and fullness and adults often make them deny their feelings by making them eat when they’re not hungry. This also makes them fat.

10. Serve your children a small amount of food. They will ask for more if they are still hungry. Children’s hunger varies from day to day. Be flexible and follow what they want. Chances are this will help you raise a normal weight child.

By Katie Evans