My Boys
As a new mother, I was committed to do everything I could to improve the health of my sons despite a less-than-desired gene pool lurking with diabetes, heart disease and other co-morbid conditions. When I said I was committed to doing everything, I meant it.  My decision was made, I had weight loss surgery. 

My weight loss surgery didn't just improve my life but the lives of my sons and husband too. When I had surgery, I immersed myself into my health and the health of my husband and sons. I became a student of my own healthy choices which extended to my family. From having surgery, my sons inherited the knowledge that I absorbed like a sponge.

Thankfully, my sons were very young when I had my surgery. With the conscientious efforts I made from my own childhood obesity issues, they were healthy little boys that were active, played sports and ate healthy the majority of the time.   Just as important as their physical well-being was their mental well-being. I knew this began by being aware of what I said and how I treated my boys.  I wanted them to have the high self-esteem that I'd only wished for.   

Together, as a family, we learned the importance of protein, making sure we ate sufficient protein, difference in fats and that a carb isn't just a carb. We also learned that drinking a minimum of 64 ounces each day excludes sodas – diet and regular, and that there isn't a beverage better for our bodies than water.  My sons also get lots of positive, self-esteem enhancing feedback and talks with me. When they encounter a problem, we brainstorm about ways to overcome and deal with it. When they experience their emotions, they know healthy strategies to cope with them, including being able to talk to me about how they feel. To cope with my emotions as a child, I ate a dozen cookies and then rearranged them hoping no one would know. My sons may run a dozen laps as a coping strategy to sort out or deal with their emotions.

Knowledge Is Power
As a family, we watched the show "Jamie Oliver's ‘Food Revolution' " and it was fantastic. My sons obtained so much knowledge from it. Now my younger son is concerned about eating processed food (Thanks Jamie!). He is a very picky eater but has widened his list of acceptable foods to include a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables. Do you know how most chicken nuggets are made? Check out Jamie making chicken nuggets using the parts of the chicken that no one would ever knowingly eat. (Disclaimer and warning – It is gross! I will never eat a commercial package of chicken nuggets!)

My younger son (the picky eater) enjoys cooking. For dinner, I made a broccoli side dish and he helped me with it. This (formerly) picky eater ate a big spoonful of the broccoli! Since he prepared the majority of the dish, he felt ownership of it and ate it. A mom s-c-o-r-e!

From the broccoli victory lesson, we went a step further and planted a container garden this summer. We grew zucchini, tomatoes, green bell peppers and jalapenos. Both of my sons checked it every day, watered it and nurtured the plants. My younger son was very excited to give his daily report on how the plants were growing and the status of the harvest. He loved showing me the vegetables he'd nurtured and grown. The validation and pride of ownership (remember the broccoli dish) my son has is very rewarding. I know he will remember this experience. He has an attitude that it is fun to grow, prepare and eat fruits and vegetables. It has been such a success that we're going to plant a small garden in our yard for the fall.

A few years ago, we moved from a school district in California that was experiencing budget problems. As a result of budgetary cut-backs, the school no longer had formal physical education classes for the kids. Another contributing factor to the childhood obesity epidemic we are experiencing in this country. The good news is that the school district we moved into is very different. There is a full-time physical education teacher and classes at all of the schools.