In my last column, I talked about the prevalence of obesity and the overweight amongst our young people these days.

It is my hope that any parents who read the column have given some honest thought to the state of the health of their family. The responsibility for improving our children's health lies with the parents.

This may be a difficult and intimidating task but it is vital, and it can be done. I hope the tips contained in this article will be helpful to you in your endeavours to improve your family's quality of life.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you cannot change everything at once -- don't attempt to overhaul the family's eating habits overnight. Drastic change can be difficult to swallow, so aim for slow, steady changes in your and your family's lifestyle.

And do not warn them -- just do it! Gradually, over a period of a few months, start making your meals more nutritious. Start serving lightly steamed vegetables and a small tossed salad with the regular main dish.

Substitute low-fat dairy products instead of whole milk and regular cheese.

Cut back gradually on the fried foods, canned foods and processed foods that you serve at your table.

It will also help if you comment occasionally (but subtly -- your kids aren't stupid) on how good a low-fat, healthy meal tastes, or how much more energy you have since you've been cutting down on junk food.

Children and adults alike, we all have the same nutritional needs; the more variety of healthy foods kids learn to enjoy, the easier it will be to attain the multitude of nutrients their (and our) bodies need. Here are some tips for making your kids' diets healthier: Give your children `five-a-day'. I realise this may be difficult, but by having pre-cut fruit and veggies available instead of high-fat snack food, they will gradually make the switch. Put them in their lunch boxes, include them in their after-school snack, and obviously include plenty of vegetables with dinner.

Bones need calcium -- especially growing bones, so include at least two good sources of calcium for your children each day. Yogurt, pudding, skim milk over their breakfast cereal -- these are a few ideas for ensuring adequate calcium in the diet.

Toss the processed foods -- they are loaded with sodium, especially those pre-made lunches and snacks. If your kids get tired of sandwiches, try cooking extra of their favourite dinners and giving them leftovers in their lunch box.

Make sure there are always healthy snacks available. Try bagels or crackers with low-fat cheese or peanut butter; a homemade party mix of cereal, pretzels and raisins; air-popped popcorn; dried fruit; Jell-O; a fruit and cheese platter. Get creative and make it fun! I will concede at this point that buying fresh produce and other healthy items can increase the bottom line on your grocery bills. But making an investment in your family's health by providing a healthy diet will result in lower health care costs in the long-run.

And besides, can you put a price on the value of having healthy children? I know they are worth it! As you know, healthy living also needs to include regular exercise! Schedule regular family activity times -- go out for a bike ride, take a walk through one of our beautiful parks, play Frisbee -- whatever your kids enjoy.

The point is just to get moving! Encourage your children to be active every day.

One tactic that my parents used when I was growing up was to limit our television watching to two hours a week between Sunday night and Thursday night.

This restriction was successful not only in getting us to do our homework, but it also got us out in the yard playing, skating, cycling and generally burning off energy.

Why not try similar restrictions on TV, video games and other non-active pastimes in your house. Establishing a healthy enjoyment of activity at a young age can only increase interest in staying active as we grow up.

Here are a few other helpful tips: Don't teach your children to clean their plate - let them know that they can finish eating when they have had enough.

Do not offer food as a reward or comfort; give your children love and attention, not calories! Sit down at the table for dinner; not only is the routine important, but this allows the family to have quality time on a regular basis.

Let the kids choose the dinner menu occasionally.

Most importantly, remember, children learn by example. If you, as the parents, make an effort to eat a nutritious, balanced diet and exercise regularly the same habits will come more naturally to your children.

We've been working to get you BodyWise, now it is time for you to help your children become BodyWise! A little effort now will reward you and your children with the benefits of a long and healthy life.

HEALTH HTH