September 11, 2024 ~ Lucy Ann Lance talks with Shanthi Appelö, Registered Dietitian and Health and Wellness Spokesperson at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for this week's A Healthier Michigan. They highlight the critical role parents play in modeling healthy behaviors for children. They emphasize that children learn from their surroundings, including parental behavior and advertising, which predominantly promotes unhealthy foods. Only 3% of food advertisements target healthy options, despite the $2 billion spent annually on marketing to children. Healthy eating habits formed in childhood significantly influence adulthood, impacting relationships with food, chronic disease risks, and body image perceptions.