French-Fried Kids

Do your kids love fried foods? If so, they're in the majority! Despite the repeated warnings about the childhood obesity epidemic, a new study has found that more American kids than ever are filling up on deep-fried fast foods. Harvard researchers tracked the diets of more than 14,000 teens and found that they doubled their intake of fried foods during the study period, from 1996 to 1999. The researchers say this trend is particularly troubling because eating patterns formed in adolescence tend to stick for life. The study also showed that most of the high-fat snacking didn't happen at home but in school cafeterias, after school at fast-food restaurants, and during take-out dinners eaten on the run.

So how can you help your teens resist the temptation of fried and other unhealthy foods? Show them the connection between their everyday food choices and a lifetime of slow but steady weight gain. Encourage them to choose a salad or a piece of fruit as a side dish instead of fries. While their sky-high metabolisms may mask the damage at first, teens' bad habits will gradually catch up over time. Convince them that that's a road they don't want to take!