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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Despite your best healthy intentions, there's one unhealthy influence in your child's life that could be damaging his or her health:

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If you've ever had a case of food poisoning, you'll know why it's so important to keep cooking surfaces clean and to properly wash your food. Every step you can take to minimize the spread of bacteria and viruses is well worth it. All You Magazine has 7 steps for germ-free cooking:

• Use separate cutting boards. Use one cutting board for meats and another for fruit, vegetables, and anything else. Avoid wooden cutting boards as they can trap bacteria. Be sure to clean your cutting boards thoroughly after each use.
• Scrub fruits and veggies. Even if it says pre-washed, take the time to scrub fruits and vegetables off. A good scrub will help remove traces of pesticides (if you don't buy organic) and any other residue on the produce. It's even a good idea to wash fruits that you peel (bananas, oranges, etc.) to avoid transfer of pesticides or bacteria.

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Got some healthy leftovers to store? Something you can take to work and eat for lunch? Something that will make a great dinner a second time around? If so, you'll want to properly store your food in the greenest of ways, says Jessica Jensen, co-founder of Low Impact Living. Here's how.

• Use glass first. It can be used over and over and is easily recycled.
• Go for aluminum foil next since it too can be recycled.
• Opt for plastic containers before bags because they can be reused and some can be recycled. It's best to use as little plastic as possible, though, since it's made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resourse.
• Last choice: Plastic wrap. It's only good for one-time uses and can't be recycled.

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I love eating veggies, but most store-bought salad dressings leave me cold. They rarely live up to my expectations -- they're either too sweet, too salty, too tangy, too rich, too fatty ... well, you get the point. For me, simplicity is king. I like combining just a few ingredients, and it often seems like manufactured salad dressings try too hard to be overly flavourful.

But the solution is simple: Make your own dressings. It's surprisingly easy to do. Mark's Daily Apple recently published a list of top DIY Salad dressings. Why not give some of the recipes a try?

Love Caesar salad? Combine these ingredients for a homemade caesar vinaigrette: White wine vinegar, olive oil, freshly grated parmesan, freshly ground pepper, freshly chopped garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice and a few finely-cut anchovies.

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Blame your supermarket for leading you into temptation -- all those bakery goods, chips, dips, and beverages galore are bound to cause the best of us to cave on our best diet intentions. That's why we should order our groceries online, says a new multi-university study.

Researchers assigned 28 people to either a standard weight-loss program or a program with grocery delivery and found after eight weeks that online buyers had fewer fattening products and less total food in their cupboards.

The bottom line for your bottom line: Virtual shopping carts make it easier to stick to your list. They eliminate last-minute grocery store grabs too. So ditch the traditional cart and go online for for your food -- and for your body too.

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I don't buy snacks from check-out lines. That's only because I haven't been eating candy and chips and drinking soda for the past year. Otherwise, I'd surely be reaching for those perfectly-placed diet spoilers. I'd likely be gaining weight too.

Women eat 14,300 calories a year thanks to impulse buys at check-out counters, according to IHL Group, a global research and advisory firm providing market analysis and business consulting services for retailers. All those impulses equal about four pounds per year for the female persuasion. For men, indulging in line translates to roughly three pounds. Although women have an overall higher average of impulse buying, men under 25 are the biggest consumers of caloric items. This group actually consumes enough to gain eight pounds per year.

If you an impulse indulger and just can't seem to help yourself, opt for self-checkout systems when available. IHL's study showed that impulse purchases drop dramatically at these stations. Why? Because self-checkout lanes are not as heavily merchandised as staffed lanes. There are usually shorter lines too which minimizes the opportunity for a captive and tempted audience.

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Are you a shopaholic? This may not sound like something worth worrying about, and for many people it isn't. But there are others out there who engage in this "impulse control disorder" every day. They rack up bills and debt to a level that is unhealthy. Researchers have even ranked it as an addictive behavior like alcoholism.

That could appear a bit extreme. After all, just because you have some money burning a hole in your pocket doesn't make you a shopaholic. New studies suggest that the reason serious compulsive buyers engage in chronic spending sprees is because they are trying to escape bad feelings or mask other problems.

A behavior like this can start to wear down on people, especially those dependent on money being spent away. However, there are some elements which make this research kind of extreme. For example, what about materialism? Some people just like stuff. Also, we're not all one or the other: there is a broad spectrum in between compulsive shoppers and penny pinchers. But the fact still remains that shopping, for some people, is an escape. In moderation, this can be relaxing. When exercised habitually it could have consequences.

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If you like tangible steps for cutting the fat in your life, this post is for you. It's loaded with nuggets of information on the nutritional hazards we face every day. Take note, take action, and you'll be on your way to more healthful living.

• One study found that women ate 25 percent less candy when it was tucked away in a drawer than when it was on their desks. Experts say you should store candy in opaque containers or on an out-of-the-way shelf. I say don't store candy at all -- that way, you won't be able to grab it. If you truly need a bite of the sweet stuff, buy a single serving.
  
  

• Another study found that people eat 22 percent more in the same amount of time when food is served in larger packages. So avoid those bulk containers and you're likely to not overdo it.
  
  

• Microwaving might make you hungrier than actual cooking. Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, found that smelling food during cooking can make you more satisfied and can lead you to eat less once your meal hits the table. If you're still not up for cooking, pop that microwave dinner in the oven to cook.
  
  

• Like those trendy, bigger utensils now on the market? You might want to forgo fashion for function because the bigger the silverware, the more we eat. "People who eat with smaller spoons tend to feel more satisfied after one serving than those who use bigger silverware," says Illinois food researcher James Painter, Ph.D.
  
  

• There's more to the placement of grocery store food items than you might think. Companies pay for prime real estate in supermarkets, and the products right in front of your face tend to be the high-profit, cheaper-to-produce stuff like sugary cereals and processed carbohydrates. Next time you're wandering the aisles, look up -- the healthiest foods are usually stocked on the top shelves.
  
  

• Don't look at the center shelves on your next grocery adventure. Center aisles are home to processed snacks and sweets. Stick with the outer walls of the store, where the most nutritious fruits, veggies, dairy, and meats live.

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I just returned from what was supposed to be a short two hour trip to the mall to grab some Black Friday deals, and boy did I have my butt kicked! Instead of a short visit, I spent two hours shopping and waiting in the Disney Store line alone, followed by three more tedious hours in only two more shops. I'm DONE!

Normally, I'm capable of full-blown kickboxing for at least two hours, but apparently that's way easier than standing around at the mall. What is that all about? Maybe what added to my exhaustion was the mental strain involved in spending a bazillion dollars in one morning. I only felt a little bit bad about it though, because I saved a few million. Isn't it strange that we rationalize these sales? I did 'save' a bunch, but I think I definitely bought more things because of the sales. I don't know.

Nonetheless. I'm pooped! Tired! Whipped! Drained! My feet hurt and I'm taking the rest of the day off. I've raised my white flag! This fitness trainer has been beaten. Mall 1 - Fitz 0.

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Do you gain weight when you're stressed out? You're not alone. The majority of people seem to pack on pounds when they're extra busy or when something's worrying them. It might seem like stress leads to over-eating but that's only part of the answer -- a new study shows that stress triggers chemicals in your body to store more fat. I suspect this is an evolutionary response -- your body prepares itself for the event that food is scarce.

So if you're trying to lose weight, try your best to eliminate stress from your life. Conveniently, exercise is a great stress reliever -- particularly a gentle walk during or after a hurried day at the office. And remember to take it easy and you put yourself first sometimes.

How do you de-stress?

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I'm not a big makeup person but I readily admit that I love expensive face and eye creams. I'm not proud to say that I don't even know if the pricey products do their job any better than cheaper brands available at local drug stores. I just like to think that they do.

Like a lot of you out there, while I enjoy trying out the fancy beauty counter creams and elixirs, I can only afford them once in a while as a treat. According to this though, there are ways to get the most out of your visit to the department store beauty section, and sometimes you can even get stuff cheap or even for free.

The complimentary gift with purchase is a personal favorite because you usually only have to spend $30 or $40 and get to try a number of high-end beauty goods. Also, as the article points out, a number of makeup companies like MAC offer cheap or free skin care evaluations and makeup applications, while others will allow you to try a free sample of a specific product you're interested in (my weakness is eye cream) before you commit to an entire bottle or jar.

For more information, as well as some beauty counter do's and don'ts, read the entire piece here.

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It seems like the more health-conscious we all get the more confusing grocery shopping becomes because food manufacturers keep coming up with new gimmicks and catch phrases to try and trick us into buying their not-so-healthy products. One area that can be especially confusing is whole grains. Whole grains are great for you because of all the nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that are left intact due to less processing, but finding them can be tricky due to terms like 'wheat' and 'multigrain' that are intended to be misleading.

The best way to get around all the hype is to go straight for the ingredient list, and in the case of whole grains you'll want to see 'whole wheat flour' at the top as the #1 ingredient (as opposed to'wheat flour' and 'unbleached enriched wheat flour' which are the refined versions). Of course you can also look to the nutrition label and get a fiber reading -- whole grain foods will have at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving in most cases.

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I love summer salads, but I don't eat as many of them as I'd like to because it's so hard for me to keep lettuce and salad greens fresh in the refrigerator for more than 1 day at a time. But it seems FitSugar has the answer, and who knew it would be so easy? Just put your greens in a plastic bag, breathe a puff of air into it (for the carbon dioxide) and tie it at the top. Of course it will take up more space in your fridge this way and I'd make sure your family isn't sensitive about people breathing on each other's food, but if this works (I'm totally trying it) what an awesome trick!

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It may seem like since we're hearing about trans fat bans on new products on an almost daily basis, there must be practically none left out there. It seems like no company would dare have trans fats at this point, would they?

Well they would dare, and they do. Grocery stores are still full of products that are loaded with unhealthy trans fats such as pot pies, frozen pizzas, pastries, cookies, and various convenience foods (all the good stuff!).

Just because we keep seeing so many "Trans Fat Free" and "0% Trans Fat" labels doesn't mean the problem is solved. Even brand name foods like Pepperidge Farm and Campbell's still have high trans fat content in some of their products. Reading labels and finding brands and products you know are healthy is more important thane ever!

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