Health Watch is a public service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.

With obesity and diseases related to obesity on the rise among younger and younger kids, it's increasingly important to give children a good start in life with proper nutrition. This week on Health Watch, we'll talk about kids and food, and what we can do to help children learn to make good food choices that will last them a lifetime.

Dr. Abhimanyu Garg, a nutrition expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says we learn our food likes and dislikes during childhood, so that's when parents should help their children develop a taste for nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Those tastes will follow them throughout their lives. Generally, people don't suddenly develop a taste for vegetables as adults. Teaching nutrition to children can have a lifelong health impact.

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September 2006

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