You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that kids' waistlines are expanding as rapidly as adults' these days. Just take a look around. With an estimated 33 percent of children overweight or obese, the husky kids who used to be the exception are now becoming the norm -- and being big as a kid can translate into big health problems later on.

Medical experts report that overweight kids are heart attacks just waiting to happen. One study from the New England Journal of Medicine found that today's kids are likely to become adults with heart disease, which translates to more hospitalizations, more medications, more medical procedures and a shorter life expectancy. Another study reported that if the number of overweight children continues to increase at the current rate, there will be 100,000 additional cases of heart disease by 2035.

Who are the main culprits for childhood obesity? Parents, for one. Carting in boxes of donuts to their little ones' soccer games, offering sugar-loaded fruit drinks as after-school snacks and replacing home cooking with deep-fried drive-thrus, parents are teaching kids some fattening life lessons. The average child today consumes 180 more calories a day than their leaner counterparts did in 1989. That can translate to an extra 18 pounds a year.

Barack and Michelle Obama have been a bit busy lately, what with 10 inaugural balls and his being sworn in as President of the United States and everything. (And I think I'm busy ... ha!) The Obama's girls have been busy in their own right.

Recently, they had friends from their new school visit them at the White House. After watching movies, the girls participated in a scavenger hunt through the presidential halls (how cool is that?). The hunt was designed to help the girls become familiar with the White House and to feel more comfortable there. The final surprise of the hunt led them to the Jonas Brothers hiding behind a door. I think I could hear the pre-teen squeals from four states away. But what I'm really wondering is if the Jonas Brothers got a chance to bowl?

While your kids don't have anything as palatial as the White House to get used to and you can't rustle up a pop star as a final surprise, you can still set up a scavenger hunt in your own house for your kids. If, like me, you live in an area that's been suffering super-cold temps, you have to get a little creative to keep your kids active indoors. A scavenger hunt is a fun idea -- your kids might also enjoy a relay race throughout the house.

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Loving parents want the best for their children -- health, happiness, contentment and success. So this story of a family in the UK whose daughter is battling an eating disorder broke my heart. What makes the situation worse is that the teenager blames her problems on her father, who is obese.

So often, as parents, we worry about the external forces that influence our kids. From TV shows, to dolls, to ads in magazines ... everything is a potential force that can sway our kids away from the values we'd like them to have. But the influences within our homes are even stronger. The examples we set -- with our health, our actions, our morals -- are more powerful than any external source.

The dad whose daughter has an eating disorder and blames it on him was obviously heartbroken. He loves his daughter and he wants her healthy and well. I hope, while recognizing that his habits did influence her, he realizes that her eating disorder isn't his fault. I so respect the way he's handling it, though. As his daughter is receiving treatment for her eating disorder, he's also seeking help for his obesity. While they're on opposite sides of the issue, I wish them both the best of luck on resolving their issues with food and getting to a healthy weight.

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Would seeing images of your healthy child as an obese adult inspire you to change the unhealthy habits you're teaching them and replace them with healthier ones? The British Government thinks you will, so as part of the Change4Life campaign, they're digitally altering images of children to show how they'll look in adulthood if they don't maintain healthy eating and exercise habits.

It's meant, of course, to scare you into changing any bad habits to make you and your family healthier. And it's working. Isabel Taylor -- the mother of Poppy, pictured here -- says the images are "frightening" and have inspired her to make healthy changes like switching to low-fat mayo and getting the kids active on a regular basis.

It takes more than low-fat mayo to impart habits in your child that will last a lifetime, though. And it starts with you -- kids learn by example, so set a good one for yours.

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader! We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Everlast and Everlast Woman are giving gorgeous workout T-shirts to each featured member! To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Matt Dunn

Age: 31

Occupation: Software Engineer

How often do you exercise? Five times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Mostly running -- I'm currently training for my first and second marathons this spring.

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It only stands to reason that the more fit your child is, the more adept they will be at their sport of choice. But fitness affects more than your child's skill on the field ... fitness can affect academic performance as well. It might even promote brain cell growth.

In today's day and age where phys ed classes are practically a thing of the past and video games bogart our kids' attention spans, it's important to encourage physical activity. Signing your kids up for team sports is a great way to promote activity while helping them build confidence and social skills. But day to day activity is just as important, so get outside with your kids and get them moving.

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There are many ways to train each muscle. I'm a girl who likes challenging and efficient exercises. This three-part routine, shown here and featuring me and Anthony Field of The Wiggles, not only made my arms shake ... it exhausted my chest and abs and left me breathless in a very short period of time. Looking for something new, challenging and fun? This is your answer.

If you're interested in getting the rings like the one's shown here in this video, visit RingTraining.com and look for Elite Rings. And for more star-studded training videos, fitness tips and recipes, visit Fitzness.com.

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Obese men have a lower chance of reproducing, and it's just not because they're less likely to score with chicks at the bar. No, obese men have an actual physical problem down there, with their sperm.

According to new studies, obesity impairs fertility by not only drastically reducing sperm count in men, but also by altering the quality of sperm. Additionally, a previous study found that obese men were more likely to battle impotence problems too.

Obviously, obese men who want to have kids should slim down but not just in the interest of improving their chances of conceiving. Obesity is one of the highest causes of premature death -- and you want to live to see those kids grow up, don't you? Well, then, now might be just the time to align yourself with America Takes It Off. Click here to learn more. And come back and see us on Monday -- we'll be issuing a challenge that might just help you on your way to slimmer days.

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My son likes many healthful snacks. Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, almost any variety of fruit, cheese sticks and sunflower seeds are his favorites. But if given the choice between any of his favorite healthful snacks and his least favorite type of junk food, he'll pick the junk food every time.

I adopted my son when he was 10 years old, so many of his eating habits were already formed. With time and determination, he's learned to enjoy home-cooked meals (he only liked frozen foods when he first moved in) and understands a lot more about nutrition. But the junk food addiction has remained a problem.

I've tried instituting other rules, such as having healthful "anytime foods" that he can snack on whenever he likes and in any quantity he desires. The treat foods were left for desserts and small treats each day. It's a good idea in theory, but it led to my son trying to sneak those foods up to his room. When they became hands-off foods, they were more desirable than ever.

NFL star Tom Brady and his leading lady, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, have made it official -- the unbelievably attractive couple is engaged to be married. Brady proposed aboard a private jet on Christmas Eve, accompanied by four dozen white roses, champagne and Bundchen's parents who were visiting from Brazil. Could they be any cuter?

Here at That's Fit, we're fans of both Tom and Gisele already -- they're both so fit and healthy (and dreamy, of course). While Brady's athletic prowess is well-documented -- he is one of the best quarterbacks playing professional football, after all -- Bundchen's should be noted as well. She originally wanted to become a professional volleyball player in Brazil, and with her height and work ethic, she might've had a shot. You know, if the whole "highest earning supermodel" thing hadn't gotten in the way.

Now, I'm not normally one to push a couple to have babies -- not by a long shot. However, I cannot wait to see how athletic their kids are going to be. I bet Gatorade, Nike and Oakley are already setting aside funds to scoop up Baby Bundchen-Brady's endorsement!

Update: The couple's families are denying the engagement. However, a spokesperson for Tom's team, the Patriots, says that while he doesn't think the engagement rumors are true, "Tom keeps his private life private." I'm still holding out hope for their genetically gifted offspring debuting soon!

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Kids learn a lot in school. My fifth grader is learning algebra and geometry, which is fine now but I'm a little leery of the math lessons he'll have in high school -- at some point he's going to surpass my knowledge completely. So with all that reading, writing and arithmetic, why not learn good nutrition habits as well?

Many schools are starting to restrict sugary and fatty snacks. And students' nutrition habits are modestly improving as a result. Over 10,000 fifth graders at schools with restricted snacks were surveyed and they reported a three percent increase in fruit and vegetable consumption.

As a parent, I strongly believe my child's nutrition habits are learned at home. But when good nutrition habits are modeled and supported at school as well, it's a win-win situation. Now if I could only convince my son's school to stop serving those molded chunks of who-knows-what they try to pass off as chicken nuggets.

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The secret to becoming fit and trim is painfully simple, and I know you can follow these easy instructions. No diets, pills or programs necessary!

Changing your post-workout routine, tools to "un-Gumby-fy" your yoga routine, and other neat fitness training tips can be found at ...

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BBC Health has a video showing a mother discussing how her children got overweight, the problems they encountered, and what they're doing to lose the extra weight. The mother mentioned that she realized her son was getting overweight when she couldn't find pants that fit him properly. She had to buy pants in America because "they cater more to the overweight child." Her choice of words really struck a chord with me.

It's definitely a chicken and egg situation. Larger clothing sizes are necessary because there are larger kids who need them. But is childhood obesity, in part, prolonged by the fact that items like husky or plus-sized clothing is readily available? The mom in the BBC Health interview stated that the lack of clothing was a main impetus for changing the family's unhealthy habits and helping the kids lose weight.

I think it would be discriminatory to not have larger clothing sizes available. But, on the other hand, childhood obesity is an ever increasing problem and we don't want to become a society that caters to the issue. What do you think?

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One of my nephews sneered at broccoli until my sister started calling it a "tree" -- all of a sudden, broccoli was interesting.

Sometimes, parents have to resort to little tricks to get their picky eaters to try new foods. The food pyramid folks realize this and now, there's a special pyramid designed just for preschoolers. Not only does this new pyramid outline the proper amounts of foods kids need, it also aims to help parents with the little picky eaters in the house.

In addition to helpful tools like a growth chart, sample meal plans and kitchen activities for preschoolers, the MyPyramid for Preschoolers site gives tips for breaking the picky-eating problem. Some suggestions:

• Set a good example by eating healthfully
• Offer a variety of foods ... and keep offering them
• Start with small portions.
  

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Recently, a school bus full of commuting kids had to be evacuated and decontaminated. Surely that kind of drastic measure would only be taken for something serious like a chemical spill or an outbreak of TB? Nope -- that's not what happened at all.

Students were rushed off the bus because a peanut fell on the floor. Yes, peanuts on a bus can pose a danger for kids with nut allergies, but I think the real problem here is the fact that the kids on the bus couldn't be trusted to not eat off the floor.

Isn't this nut allergy craze getting a bit out of hand?

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