Even small changes, like eating a healthier lunch in school, can help to stop the childhood obesity epidemic facing the nation. A study by Swedish researchers found that when schools removed all buns, sweetened drinks and sweets from their premises, the number of overweight 6- to 10-year-olds dropped by 6 percent in four years.

The students were also given the option to choose lower fat or fiber-rich lunches. Meanwhile, among the schools that did not adopt healthier foods, the number of overweight kids increased by 3 percent.

It just goes to show you how simple changes add up to big improvements in your, and your children's, health. Parents can easily make these changes at home too, by providing their kids with healthy food and drink options and activities other than TV, and, very importantly, acting as positive, healthy role models themselves.

Science Daily April 27, 2007