Parents begin to eat unhealthy as soon as kids move out

Fast food is not to blame for childhood obesity, poor eating habits learned in children's home are, says a new study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The study entitled, 'The Association of Fast Food Consumption with Poor Dietary Outcomes and Obesity Among Children: is it The Fast Food of the Remainder of the Diet?' was lead by Barry Popkin, the W.R Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at UNC's Gillings School of Public Health and was publsihed in the latest issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers for the study found that while fast food does contribute to unhealthy children, the main culprit for childhood obesity is learned dietary habits children observe at home. Science Daily reports that the poor eating patterns consist of drinking sugary drinks and eating processed foods as oppose to eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.