Apparently, the researchers who recently put together that great list of the seven risk factors for childhood obesity left an important one out, based on an escalating number of overweight toddlers noticed by pediatric experts. The problem: Small children are eating way too much junk food and not enough whole foods, so they're developing the same poor eating habits as their parents.

Good reason medical experts like me are so concerned these poor eating habits learned at such a young age will plague our society's collective health and pocketbooks for generations to come.

One physician may have pegged it correctly when he pointed out, as far back as a half-century ago, foods that were considered nutritional were labeled kids' foods. Nowadays, what comes to mind when most people talk about kids' foods? Try candy, sugary soft drinks, chips and McDonald's, certainly not a piece of fruit and a glass of clean water...

And, because so many doctors choose to ignore this epidemic among children, parents must take responsibility for this problem and the solution. Face it, folks, if you have bad eating habits, chances are great so will your kids!

USA Today October 5, 2005