Many people believe that the old saying "Look at the parent and you will see the child in 20 years" is quite true.
  This seems to be more evident in recent years as children in developed nations are becoming more obese.
It is a common belief that this increase in the number of obese children is due to heredity, that children are becoming obese because their parents are.
  Studies show that there are many other things in addition to genes that determine weight.
  Obesity can be because of genes, but also from culture and habit as well.
Children learn their eating habits from their parents.
  If the eating habits of the parents are bad or unhealthy, children are likely to end up being obese themselves.
  In some cultures people can be much larger because of their high intake of fats and carbohydrates as compared to people who eat foods with low fat, low sugar and high carbs.
  Eating junk food is a very common way of passing on excess weight to children who learn the same eating habits as their parents.
If, for example, there are thyroid issues prevalent in a family, it is possible that children will have the same problems and therefore be obese due to these genetic issues.
However, eating large family meals of fried foods, potatoes and sweet, rich desserts on a regular basis promote these unhealthy habits to future generations.
What is it we need to have a balanced diet for healthy weight control?  We need to consume several small well balanced meals a day, especially the most important meal...
breakfast.