What do a former president, a TV personality, an ex-NBA star and a heart surgeon all have in common? They all want to raise awareness about the growing childhood obesity problem in our country.

Last week, following an introductory speech by Bill Clinton, Rachel Ray, Allan Houston and Dr. Mehmet Oz participated in a panel discussion moderated by Tara Parker Pope, "Well Being" columnist for the New York Times. All the panelists provided tips to parents on helping their kids develop healthy eating habits. Houston named consistency as the key to getting picky eaters to eat their vegetables. Ray emphasized the need for getting kids in the kitchen with you as a way to not only teach them about good eating habits, but to empower them. 

As a child, I was a very picky eater. I subsisted on grilled cheeses, chicken nuggets and peanut butter sandwiches (no crust). Fortunately, I outgrew my picky ways. These days I find it hard to find foods I don't enjoy. I eat a well-rounded diet and maintain a healthy weight. My parents never really forced me to eat foods I didn't want. That said, they made good choices regarding the items I would eat. We never had sugary cereals in the house, I ate my pb&j's on whole wheat bread and soda was on the No Fly List. While I think introducing your kids to fruits and vegetables and teaching them to have a healthy, well-rounded diet is an extremely important part of raising your child, I also believe that even small changes are a move in the right direction. Maybe your little one refuses to eat her broccoli, but will she know the difference if you swap in natural peanut butter for the preservative-packed, sugar-laden variety?

There are nearly 25 million obese or overweight children in the United States today (and the number is increasing). It's clear we need to take action to fight the obesity epidemic. What are you doing to help your kids learn about healthy eating?

--Erica 

photo: jennifer lawinsky