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(StatePoint) New Year\u2019s resolutions often focus on personal improvement. This year experts are encouraging entire families to consider making a pledge to adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle.<\/p>\n
Parents have more potential than anybody else to influence their children\u2019s behavior — including their eating habits — according to a study by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In fact, parents outrank sports celebrities as the people most children would most like to be, according to the survey.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are the most influential role model in your child\u2019s life,\u201d says Kim Larson, registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy spokesperson. \u201cModeling healthy eating behaviors encourages children to adopt and choose healthy behaviors that will benefit them for a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Setting Realistic Goals<\/strong> Focus on Overall Health, Not Weight Alone<\/strong> \u201cYou don\u2019t want your kids to think that a healthy lifestyle is only about how much they weigh,\u201d Larson says.<\/p>\n \u201cConcentrate on delicious nutrition and fun physical activities,\u201d says Larson.<\/p>\n
\nSmall steps add up, and Larson recommends making healthy lifestyle changes that are realistic and easy to stick with for the long-haul. Try adopting healthy changes for the entire family, such as:<\/p>\n\n
\nAccording to the experts, good nutrition, health, and fitness fun should be the focus of your family\u2019s goals, not calorie counting, food restriction or working out.<\/p>\n