Childhood obesity predictor tool launches-Will your child be obese?

There has been a great deal of press lately on the new "childhood obesity" predictor for newborns.

This new tool was recently released and is based on key data points that have been shown in numerous studies to predict the tendency of a child towards obesity.

• the BMI score of the mother
• the BMI score of the father

• If one parent is obese the child has a 50% chance of being obese*
• If a child has both parents obese than the child's has an 80% chance of being obese*

• education level of the people in the household
• number of people in household
• mother's educational or skill level
• did the mother smoke during pregnancy

These factors were included because numerous studies have found some correlation with less educated families and childhood obesity

• baby's birth weight

If you are wondering how your child would fair with this childhood obesity tool, you can try it now online.

But whatever the tool says about your child, the future is unwritten.  By changing your habits and teaching children at a young age to be active and make healthier food choices, you can be the best predictor of your child's weight.

You can be more powerful than any tool crunching statistics.  The beautiful thing is that every day is a new day.  You can start today changing the course of your child's health and well-being by teaching them one step at a time how to be healthier.

Keep it simple, choose one thing to focus on and start with achievable goals.  Here are seven key areas to choose from that can make a significant difference for your child's long term health:

• Eat together as a family
• Make time to cook at home
• Be active every day, even starting with a simple 20 minute walk after dinner
• Eat breakfast every morning
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
• Drink more water
• Use smaller plates - smaller portions