It's not unusual for children, especially during the teen years, to eat out - often at fast food restaurants - without your knowledge. A quick burger and fries on the way home from school or while hanging out with friends is a common practice among kids. In fact, a survey of over 600 students in the second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh grades done by researchers from the Cardiovascular Research and Education Foundation in Wausau, Wisconsin revealed that about 23% of these children reported eating out (other than at school) at least four times per week.

In comparing those children those who ate out four or more times weekly to those who did not eat out as frequently, the researchers found some alarming differences in the restaurant-goers: higher blood pressure, lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "good" cholesterol, and less sensitivity to insulin, an early sign of progression toward Type 2 diabetes.

What can a parent do to help children to avoid dietary related health problems? Encourage your child to eat healthy meals at home, as much as you can. And be a good role model by avoiding temptation to do the fast food run when you’re in a hurry. Teens are more difficult to monitor. While you can’t follow your teen child around, talk to him about the health risks of eating out. Examine menus in his favorite fast food hangouts and help him to select healthier food choices for those times he does eat there.