lash back to the Fabulous Fifties. The kids are all home and Mom's in the kitchen, happily preparing their dinner.

But these are the '90s, and today's Mom spends more time at a desk than a stove. More kids are eating on their own Ñ and if you let teens choose between fries and fruits, guess which one wins?

That attraction fuels some worrisome trends:

1. Kids are eating more fast food, skipping fruits and passing up vegetables.
2. They're watching more TV and exercising less. That combination could lead to tooth decay, obesity and eventual osteoporosis.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture survey found about two-thirds of children ages 6 to 19 are eating at least some food away from home every day, up from about 55 percent 20 years ago.

While an occasional pizza won't doom children to a lifelong battle of the bulge, you may want to rethink their food choices if every meal resembles a fast-food grab-and-gulp. To make sure your children get the balanced diet they need, change the home environment and increase your skills.

Dr. Joel Steinberg, vice president and director of medical affairs at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, offers the following tips:

	Become more knowledgeable and educate your children about food and nutrition yourself.
	Change the entire family's eating behavior, which should include routine family meals with appropriate nutrition.
	Do not have foods in the house that you do not want your children to routinely eat or drink.
	Eat three meals a day with scheduled snacks.