Jackie Evans had no idea how much her life was going to change when she encouraged her son Dan to try out for a spot on NBC’s hit reality series, The Biggest Loser. Dan was only 21 years-old and weighed 310 pounds when his mom accompanied him to the casting call. She wasn’t there to try out, just to lend moral support.

Dan blended in with the rest of the crowd until he was seen by show producers with his mom, who was 100 pounds over weight herself. They joined the cast as a duo, and were put on a strict exercise regimen and embarked on a goal to learn how to make healthier food choices. Jackie made it to week six before she was voted off, and Dan made it all the way up to the second to last week.

“One of the hardest parts of being on the show was feeling so guilty about Dan’s weight. The viewers would write in to me to get off of the guilt trip, that he was 21 years-old. But, it was my fault. I was the one who put the wrong kinds of food in the cabinets all those years. I knew he was overweight . . . I wish I had known then what I know now.” And using what she has learned about nutrition and exercise, Jackie has lost 100 pounds. Dan has lost 137.

Childhood obesity has been the hot topic for the past 10 years, yet it is still on the rise. The problem hasn’t changed — today’s kids are overweight. The solution hasn’t changed, either. To combat this problem, experts say families need to start adopting healthier lifestyles. Many moms have tried and failed to set the healthy examples necessary to keep their children from becoming overweight adults. The problem is that we hold myths instilled in us by our own childhoods. Now is the time to break those myths.

STAY AWAY FROM SNACKS BETWEEN MEALS.

Wrong. Snacks are good. “We need to start looking at food as fuel for our bodies,” says Linda Bandy, registered licensed dietitian for Hinsdale Hospital. “Kids need regular meal times and scheduled snacks to hold them over until those mealtimes. Without planned snacks, kids will grab and eat anything.” Bandy says that planned snacks give parents control as to what the snack is. She suggests raw vegetables with low-fat dip, fresh fruit, unsweetened applesauce or yogurt. Dry cereals are OK, too, but avoid the sugar-coated ones.

KIDS EAT DIFFERENTLY. SOME KIDS ARE NATURALLY GRAZERS. THEY WILL TAKE A FEW BITES AND COME BACK LATER.

Wrong. “Grazers are not born, they are made,” says Bandy. “It is what we allow that causes this.” Bandy says that it is important that you sit down to eat as a family. And just as important is to turn off the TV, the computer and anything else that will distract you from knowing what and how much you are eating.

IT IS OK TO INSIST THAT MY CHILD CLEAN HIS PLATE, BUT ONLY IF IT IS VEGETABLES I’M MAKING HIM EAT.

“Avoid the clean plate club, even when dealing with vegetables,” says Bandy. “Feeling like you must eat everything on your plate opens the doors for obesity later on.” Bandy also says it is wrong to make a big deal out of your child not eating a vegetable. “Just keep making it and putting it on their plate. It is OK to insist that they try it, but if they don’t like it don’t make an issue out of it. For some foods, it can take 10-12 times before you build a taste for it. You can always sneak those vegetables into soups, sauces and muffins — they’ll never even know it.”

WE NEED TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN GOOD FOODS AND BAD FOODS.

No! Your kids need to have a healthy relationship with food. Bandy says that you should not make a good food/bad food list. “Anything on the forbidden list becomes that much more desirable,” says Bandy. “It is not about depriving yourself; it is about variety and moderation.” Bandy says that instead of teaching your kids which are good foods and which are bad foods, teach them which they can eat everyday and which they can eat as a treat now and then.

MY KIDS PLAY SPORTS, SO THEY GET ENOUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

Dr. Robert Weil, the host of local radio health show “The Sports Doctor” on 90.0 FM WDCB, says many parents think that sports are the answer. They are not. “We put our kids into all kind of sports and we assume that will keep them active and healthy,” says Weil. “It is a common mistake. In most cases, these kids are not getting the physical activity that their parents think that they are getting. And in most cases, from a wellness cardiovascular aspect, what they are getting is worthless.”

Weil says that the problem is that the action in most organized sports is not consistent. There is a lot of down time, so even if you get your heart rate up, it isn’t for very long. And while it is certainly not a bad thing kids are in sports, they will need more of a cardio work out to be healthy.

WE HAVE TO START A FAMILY EXERCISE PROGRAM.

Starting something implies that at some point you will finish. Consistency for life is what is key. Instead of implementing a complicated program do something small, simple and easy to keep up with. Weil suggests families start walking together. “Walking is probably the best exercise we can do,” says Weil. “It is non-competitive, is OK for almost any fitness level and, short of a good pair of sneakers, no need for equipment.” Weil recommends that you walk as a family every day for 15-30 minutes. “If you can’t walk every day, shoot for 3-4 times a week,” says Weil. “It is a step in the right direction.”