Oscar Wilde said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Not always.

Although it may seem cute when your little ones mimic your behavior, there's nothing cute about the outcome if they're imitating your bad habits — and they're just as likely to do that as to adopt your good ones.

When researchers followed 400 children and their moms for five years, they discovered that moms' dietary and TV-watching habits directly impacted not only their own weight and health, but their young children's weight and activity level, too.

The study, published in the journal Obesity, found that mothers who watch 130 minutes or more of TV daily are more than twice as likely to have kids who are overweight or obese than mothers who are less sedentary and whose kids, coincidently, spend more time outdoors.

They also found that active moms tend to eat a diet with a good amount of fruits and veggies, instead of fatty meats and highly processed foods. In turn, they have young kids who eat healthful foods and are able to maintain a normal weight.

So parents, embrace a more active lifestyle, with less sitting around and a healthier diet. Do it for yourself and your children.

Kids who are sedentary and obese are on a glide path to premature chronic diseases. Don't make them pay a steep price down the road for your self-neglect.