why I'm doing this...

Well, part of why. Here's a conversation that I had with my 6-year-old today:

Miss B: How come you're not skinny like a kid anymore?
Me: Because I'm not a kid anymore.
Miss B: So when you grow up... you're not skinny anymore?
Me: (no easy answers and dropping it here) No, growing up doesn't mean you're not skinny anymore. It just depends on whether or not you eat healthy things and how much you eat when you're growing up.
Miss B: Well, you should call Jenny Craig.
Me:
Miss B: I'm not lying, mom. They have special foods that make you skinny again. You should totally try it.
Me: Well, B, do you know what that's called? It's called a commericial. They're trying to sell you something that you can do on your own for a lot less money.
Miss B: I know, Mom! You should go on a diet!
Me: That's what I am doing, B. I'm trying to make healthier choices about what I eat and I'm exercising. And I'm losing weight. It just takes a long time.

That's not totally verbatim, but pretty much what I can remember from about 10 minutes ago. At some point, Miss B also asked if they (she and her siblings) could be "infected by" my "unhealthy choices". At the surface, I gave her the answer of no. I didn't want her to think that she could "catch" obesity or that she was destined to be fat. But upon closer examination, the answer is definitely yes. We "infect" our children with our attitudes towards and choices about food and exercise- whether we intend to or not. We can use our powers for good or evil, but there's no doubt that our children will be infected.