Kate Winslet is one of my body image idols. She is who she is -- she embraces her curves and doesn't buy into the idea that you have to be a size zero to be successful in Hollywood. And according to her costume designer for the upcoming film Revolutionary Road, her body is perfect as it is. "Kate's Body is terrific to work with," says Alberta Wolsky.

Speaking out amidst the scandal surrounding her potentially airbrushed Vanity Fair cover photo, Wolsky goes on to say, "Kate is a serious actress but she is someone who really cares about what she looks like. She is not out to be someone that she isn't, she wants to be herself. She is terrific." Adds her representative: "She is in terrific shape and what you see is how she looks or she would never have agreed to pose for those shots."

I couldn't agree more. Your thoughts?

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We've written before about how celebs gain and/or lose weight for certain roles. It makes their portrayals of characters more believable, but it can't be a good practice for their health. Look at how these celebs changed their bodies for a role:

• Jake Gyllenhaal bulked up for his role in the upcoming film, Prince of Persia, by working out two to three times a day, six days a week. He followed that routine for three to four months, in addition to stunt training for the film.
• Irish actor Michael Fassbender lost 33 pounds in 10 weeks by severely restricting calories -- 900-1,000 calories for the first six weeks, then dropping down to 600 calories a day.
  
• Christian Bale survived mostly on apples and coffee when shedding pounds for his role in The Machinist.
• Robert de Niro packed on 60 pounds for his 1980 role in Raging Bull; by the end of shooting, he was visibly not feeling well.
• Renee Zellweger knows all about putting on extra pounds -- she's done it twice for the Bridget Jones movies. While she admits eating whatever you want many sound fun, she says: "After a week your glucose levels are going crazy. It doesn't feel good."
  

Sure, celebrities may seem to lead glamorous lives ... but a job that requires you to risk your health? As for me, I'm happier just being an average Jane.

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Celebrities slimming down for a film is nothing new, but one would hope they'd do it in the healthiest way possible -- after all, yo-yoing weight is unhealthy enough as it is. Hunky Irish actor Colin Farrell recently slimmed down dramatically for his role in the upcoming film Triage. How did he do it? Here's what he ate each day according to FitCeleb:

• Two cans of tuna
• Black coffee
• Diet Coke
  

That's it. That's about a net caloric intake of 300 calories a day. No wonder he lost 44 pounds. Though Farrell previously said his weight loss was healthy, he's changed his tune -- he now admits that his weight loss was not 'healthy' or 'advisable.' No kidding, huh? He has since gained it back: "I just ate like a pig,'" the actor says.

This is probably the least healthy way to slim down, don't you think?

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Renee Zellweger did it for Bridget Jones' Diary. Charlize Theron did it for Monster. Gaining weight for a movie is commonplace in Hollywood. But in the case of Hilary Swank's new movie, it certainly is unexpected. As Elastic Waist reveals, Swank will be appearing in the book adaptation of French Women Don't Get Fat -- and ironically, she is gaining 30 lbs for the role. Doesn't that totally defeat the theme of the book?

Apparently, Swank will play the manager of a champagne company that deals with French women who remain slender despite eating all the things we're told to stay away from: Bread, cheese, dessert, and so on.

Me thinks a little bit of meat on the bones of this frail-looking actress can't hurt. Though, gaining weight and losing it quickly can. Your thoughts?

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• Eat right. If you eat right, your kids are likely to follow suit. That means five servings of fruits and veggies each day, whole grains instead of refined products, and a limited number of red meats and processed foods.
  
  

• Move. Inspire your kids to get 60 minutes of vigorous exercise most days of the week by engaging in your own fitness pursuits. Discuss the value of being active with your kids too.
  
  
• Avoid smoking. Don't smoke, don't hang out around smoke, and chat with your youngsters about the dangers of smoking.
  
  
• Practice skin smarts. Protect your own skin from the sun, and slather your kids too. And teach them this American Cancer Society jingle: Slip! Slop! Slap! Wrap! Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, and wrap sunglasses around your eyes.
  
  

What ideas do you have for heading kids in a healthy life direction?

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Good role modeling never goes out of style. It may even be the exact reason why people gobble down Goldfish crackers -- or animal crackers.

In one study, cited in June's The Oprah Magazine, college students who watched a video of a colleague talking while eating Goldfish crackers chose Goldfish over animal crackers 71 percent of the time. Those watching someone eat animal crackers went for Goldfish only 44 percent of the time, despite a reported overall preference for Goldfish.

This Monkey See, Monkey Do phenomenon holds true for babies too.
Chow down on fruits and veggies while your baby is in the womb and while you're breastfeeding and your little one will be more likely to consume these items when offered them, say researchers mentioned in the May issue of Woman's Day magazine.

The lesson here: Think before you eat, because people, even babies, are likely to mimic your actions. And be careful about whose eating habits you watch, because you're likely to pick up the very snacks you see.

For some strategies and tips for healthy eating, check out AOL's America Takes It Off series.

If living better for your own health isn't enough motivation, what about living better for your children's health? Your kids watch and learn from everything you do, so are you showing and teaching them the right eating and health choices? Things you may not even think about, like reaching for the salt shaker all the time or piling your plate high with meat and potatoes (while leaving out the vegetables and grains) soak into your children's sensitive personalities and help to form the habits and lifestyle perspectives they will carry with them through life. Are your kids soaking up good stuff or bad?

And remember that making an effort to be a good role model for your kids and leading by example won't just help them, it will help you too!

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