he claims he was in the original band called the monkees. i'm not sure i believe him. i want to see the pictures. >> let's at least google it and see. >> that's it for 360. thanks for watching. "larry king" starts now. >> larry: tonight a primetime exclusive, michelle obama is here on the day america's first lady confronts a crisis that could be killing our kids. obesity. >> we got to provide parents with the information and the tools they need to make better decisions, but we also need to significantly change the quality of food that kids are getting at school. >> larry: she'll let us in on what the cameras don't see. >> i try to make our home sort of a stress-he free, work-free

zone. >> reporter: the toll is presidency is taking on her husband and how she deals privately with public criticism of him. >> democracy is about critique, and the president is not immune to criticism. >> larry: and why she worries about their two daughters. and then bill cosby's got a message about life and maybe his own death. and turning our children from food addicts into fitness fanatics. next, on "larry king live ." >> larry: it is a delight to welcome back "larry king live he," a return visit. now she is the first lady of the united states, michelle obama. last time she was -- you weren't even a candidate. >> i wasn't. i was just hanging out. >> larry: do you like the job? >> i really do. i'm enjoying myself. >> larry: it's not paying you. >> it isn't, but it's paid in so many ways other than money.

when you like people, having a job where you get to interact with folks on a day-to-day he basis and you get to do things that make a difference. you know, i still control my own schedule to some extent. it's not a bad gig. >> larry: the childhood obesity thing, why is this your priority? >> yeah. well, you know, in the first year i focused on a number of things that i will continue to focus on. support for military spouses, national service, which is something i've always carried about. this year i planted in wonderful garden, the first ever white house garden, and that was to begin the conversation about nutrition. we engaged local kids in the d.c. area in that effort and got a feel for how they'd react to a more substantive conversation. but on a personal note, you know, i come to this issue as a

mother. you know, before coming to the white house, especially when my husband was on the campaign trail, we were living the lives of average families. way too busy, rushing. >> larry: fast food. >> fast food, desserts too much, probably not monitoring tv. i was fortunate enough to have a pediatrician who worked in an urban environment in the african-american community, and he was tracking bmi. he saw little uptick in the kids' bmi and pulled me aside. >> larry: bmi is? >> body maximum indss index, wh where people fall on the weight scale. it's one of the first indicators. it was getting to the point where he raised a red flag, and he was probably more cautious because of most people because of what he saw in his own practice. >> larry: how did you react? >> i was shocked at first, because i thought i was doing what i was supposed to do, and i

hadn't noticed any changes in any kids. it was shocking and disorienting because i wasn't sure what to do. i went home, and it was kind of a wake-up call. we made he changes even with busy schedules, and they were minor changes about the i thought we have to do something. >> larry: did the kids go for it? >> you know, they did. >> they went to broccoli from french fries? >> well, it was portion sizes and a few more cooked meals. you know, we had no absolutes except no desserts during the week. took sugary drinks out of the lunch boxes and put in water and had more milk, had more fresh-squeezed juices, things like that. we talked about processed foods. so they caught on pretty quickly once they understood the point of it all. they became stricter monitors in our household than either me or their father. >> larry: you put the kids in the army? >> that's right. >> larry: there are some who

credit he size you for personalizing it, discussing it about your children. >> that's the only way i can describe it, because that's how i relate to it. i know that if i struggled with it in that way, a person with means and information and access to, you know, everything that i needed, then what on earth is going on in families in communities around the nation where people don't have the information? i thought it was important to share not just my story but the success. the point is that small changes made a difference. it wasn't a whole scale upheaval of our lives to see the outcomes. >> larry: we don't want to get too statistical, but according to a 2007 new england journal of medicine the number of overweight children ages 6 to 19 has tripled in the last 40 years. 25 million kids are considered obese or overweight.

that is a crisis. >> 1 in 3 kids, and 1 in 2 foster the african-american and hispanic communities. >> larry: does that lead to adult diabetes and heart trouble? >> talk to the american academy of pediatrics, because they're on board with this initiative. they're seeing high cholesterol in young kids, high blood pressure, asthma that is preventible, type 2 diabetes, which is the most troubling because type 2 diabetes was only an adult disease. now it's becoming more prevalent among kids, so, you know, one thing that i try to emphasize is that this isn't about weight and it's not about looks. it's not -- it's not a physical issue. it's really about the quality of life of our kids, because, you know, teachers are seeing, you know, the challenges that kids

with weight issues are having. not being able to participate in gym, feeling a little more sluggish. this is a quality of life issue. it's not about weight and diet. it's about fitness and overall nutrition to emphasize here. >> larry: do you really think you can make a he headway? you got a task force today? >> absolutely. the president signed the first ever federal memorandum that establishes a federal task force on childhood obesity. do i think i can make some inroads? i think that working with the rest of the country, with parents and business leaders and industry leaders and entertainment and sports leagues and parents and doctors and everyone, yeah, i think that we can make a difference. >> how do you handle it? kids don't want to be told you're overweight. you don't want to say you're fat, right? isn't it delicate, a delicate

balance? >> with my kids i he never talked about what and what the doctor said. i said, you know what? we need to change how we eat. let's think of some ways we can do it. you can have these conversations without having the conversation. i think it's very important that we don't unintentionally make kids more paranoid or more self-conscious. at the same time, i think that it's not useful to point fingers at anyone, at kids or parents. >> larry: do you still drop into burger king and mcdonald's? >> we don't do as much fast food, but we eat burgers and fries. >> larry: you can't eliminate it? >> you don't have to. that's really the point here. it's really balance. what i tell my kids is if they're eating right, you know, 70% of the time, then when they go to a birthday party or its a saturday and they're out and they can stop for ice cream and somebody wants to grab pizza or

they have pancakes with chocolate chips in it, it's not a big deal because that's how kids live, and that's how -- they wouldn't go for it if it was absolutes, and i think that's one of the messages for parents. >> larry: but not daily? >> not daily, and not every meal every day. >> larry: according to cnn fact check the cost of obesity is as high as $147 billion annually. we'll be back with the first lady right after this.

>> by the way, i want to acknowledge our first lady michelle obama who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the national epidemic of childhood obesity and make kids healthier. thank you. >> larry: nice. >> it's a nice shout-out. >> larry: we have an i-report question for you sent in by a viewer. let's watch. zu how can a healthy lunch be provided for 90 cents? how can we make children's health a true priority with the funding to back it up? thank you. >> that's one of the components of leave move it initiative, which is the nationwide initiative we kicked off today. we have to provide parents with the information and the tools that they need to make better decisions, but we also need to significantly change the quality of food that kids are getting at

school. more than 30 million kids get half of their daily calories from the foods that they eat in school. we don't want to set up a situation where we've got parents doing all the right things at home, and all that stuff gets undone. the child nutrition authorization act is in line for discussion this year. we're proposing a $10 billion increase, that's 1 toll doll bi -- $1 billion a year for ten years to implement this legislation. we need to focus on the quality of schools and the lurcnches. when you pack your own lunch, but so many families rely on what they're being served in schools. the department of agriculture has the initiative called the u.s. healthy schools challenge, where it recognizes schools already making these differences and there are hundreds of them.

>> larry: i want to touch on other bases and come back to this. the loss of ted kennedy. you went to the funeral, didn't you? >> oh, yes. yeah. >> larry: then the loss of the senate seat. how has that affected your husband, and do you think this whole question of the health bill? >> well, we were all saddened by the loss of senator kennedy. he was the consummate statesman. he was the grandfather of so much important legislation, and attending the funeral reminded us just the extent of the impact that he's had on the lives of all of us, not just here in this country but around the world. so it was a deep loss, but, you know, we have an opportunity to continue that legacy. we have to. >> larry: do you think you will? do you think you'll get a health bill? >> i think we don't have a choice. when we look at the statistics, we're spending billions of dollars on preventible diseases.

new health care legislation could go a long way to improving prevention first and foremost. health care reform, people need to have a pediatrician in order to get good information from their pediatribeapediatricians. they have to take their kids to well doctor visits and to have all this information tracked. we have to get this done. i'm hopeful that congress will come together, that the american people will recognize that doing nothing is absolutely not an option. it will fulfill this legacy. so we have to stay vigilant. we need to get something done. >> larry: does he get down easy, your husband? >> he doesn't get down easily. e he gets very focused and serious when he's facing a challenge, but you know, the thing about barack is he stills humble and keeps things in perspective. mine, the challenges that he faces or has faced over this year are not what irk him.

it's really our inability to solve basic fundamental problems facing the american people, improving the jobless rate, getting people back to work, ensuring that our kids are getting the absolute best education in the world that prepares them for the future. that we have health care. that we're really pushing to fix our environment so that we have a world to live in. when he doesn't get those problems solved, that's what irks him. >> larry: more with the first lady of the united states. do you like hearing that? >> it's okay. >> larry: sarah palin is one of the president's biggest dricrit. we'll ask michelle obama about that, next. wellbeing. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nuture it in your cat... with a full family of excellent nutrition... and helpful resources. ♪ purina cat chow. share a better life.

[ playing "mary had a little lamb" off-key ] he sure is working up an appetite up there. bet you guys are, too. how about some hamburger helper? cheeseburger mac... how 'bout some after the show? hamburger helper. one pound. one pan. one tasty meal. >> larry: it's he object yus, what's your read on the former

governor of alaska? >> i don't have a read. i try not to make or set opinions about people i haven't had any substantive interaction with. i know what you see on tv. >> larry: does it irk you when she criticizes your husband? >> democracy is about critique, and the president is not immune to criticism. i think he's doing a phenomenal job, you know. we have to think of where we were when he took office. we were on the brink of a depression, worse than anyone really ever imagined, and i don't think the country ever really knew how bad things were. because of important steps, quick thinking, we're not even talking about that. we've got to do more on jobs. we need to get health care done. there's a lot of work to be done, and we need to do more to

improve the civility in washington. i think if there's a disappointment, barack wishes that we have come farther in that effort. >> larry: is she a phenomena to you? >> again, i mean, i think she -- i think it's wonderful to have strong, female voices out there. but i don't know her. >> larry: what do you make of the tea party? >> you know, i'm focused on what's in front of me. right now that's ending childhood obesity in a generation, getting this done. i think when you're staying focused on solutions, trying to bring folks together, governors, mayors and doctors and educators and athletes together around an issue that has no political party, you know, has no base in liberalism or conservativism, but it's about our kids and

making sure they have the best life possible, then, you know, it's hard for me to get distracted. >> you have to think about other things. you read the papers and watch the television. you're very smart and very aware. >> i'm very smart, but i try to limit my intake to things that i can control. because in this position, you know, it is my responsibility to work with all americans, and i want to stay focused on the work rather than, you know -- >> larry: other things. >> other things. >> larry: does he counsel with you? >> we talk all the time. we talk as we've done our entire marriage, but it's more everyday talk. i try to make our home sort of a stress-free, work-free zone for him because it's necessary when you work above the store. when he or i or our kids walk in the door at the residence, that

there's a release. so our attention and conversations still focus mainly around our girls and our family, our plans for the future. we do talk about health care. i want to know how his day is going. i'm a citizen concerned about this country, too, so you know checking the temperature is important for me. we talked about this initiative, and that's one of the reasons why he signed this memorandum, because he knows the importance of tackling the obesity. >> larry: how does haiti strike you? what about these ten americans that may have taken children? we don't know, of course, what the answer is. do you expect america to be involved in this? >> i think, first of all, the crisis in haiti is devastating. for a country that poor -- for any country in that matter to experience an earthquake of that magnitude, it's going to take decades for them to recover.

with regard to kids, the kids there, i think that as the state department and the u.n. have said and expert agencies on the ground have said, you know, we want to make sure that we keep families together. in a crisis like that, kids get separated, families wind up putting their kids in orphanages with the thought that it's temporary until they get back on their feet. we don't want to unintentionally separate families from their kids. none of us wants that, so i think, you know, as folks here said, you know, we've got to take it slow. get the kids out who we know have homes to go to and make sure that we're very careful about getting the kids wo we don't have clear status on. >> larry: are you satisfied that haiti will handle this well ? >> i think haiti along with the nonprofit organizations on the ground, the folks who do this, i think, right now the haitian government needs support from

all sectors. they will come a point when they get settled and things will start building and they will tackle everything, but right now haiti needs our help on all these issues. >> larry: we'll be back with michelle obama after this.

>> larry: we're back with michelle obama. your poll numbers are up and your husband's are down. does that affect dinner? >> no, it doesn't. that was a good one. no. i mean, it's -- when you've been on this path in a campaign, i mean, you see how poll numbers go up and they go down. sometimes you can pinpoint why. sometimes you can't. i am -- i'm very flattered that the american people today feel like i'm doing a good job in representing them, and my husband is proud of that as well. it doesn't cause any tension at the dinner table. >> larry: looking at him and observing him over these few years, does he ever get mad, mad? angry, angry? >> oh, absolutely. >> larry: ticked off? >> yeah, he's human.

>> larry: never shows it. >> i think his view is maintaining a constructive approach. you know, he's always about finding the solution, and he knows if you go too far emotionally, if you get too angry or if you become too complacent sometimes you miss the answer in between. that's, i think, one of the strengths of him as a leader. you know, we talked about wanting a stable, consistent leader. we have that in him. that doesn't mean he doesn't show emotion. it's just that he shows it at appropriate times. he'll come home. he'll talk to his cabinet, and he'll converse with his advisers. there are appropriate times to show anger and frustration, but the american people don't care about the president's anger or frustration. they want to know he's solving some problems. >> we know how important

fatherhood is to him, motherhood is to you. i remember him telling me taking the kids to school was a big priority to him. hated campaigns when he was away from it. can't take he them to school now, right? >> it's a big old hassle. >> larry: raising kids in the white house is hard, right? >> it's different. it's easier in so many ways. there's some things he can't do, but there are many things he can do. he gets up every morning, he sees his kids before they leave, not something he did two years ago. could do two, three years ago. he comes home at a certain time. he can have dinner. he can read to the kids at night, tuck them into bed. we have much more quality time. we can't go out necessarily, but he still goes to the parent/teacher conferences and still goes to the -- sgoo he goes to the school? >> absolutely. he goes to every performance and play, he goes to basketball gams and soccer games. he can't go to every single one of them, because on saturdays oftentimes he's working.

but, you know, he's as involved as he's been. but he can't take the kids to school every day. quite frankly, they don't want him to. they think his motorcade is a complete embarrassment. >> larry: what's it like for them growing up -- one of the roosevelt kids told me years ago that at best it's strange to grow up in that house. >> yeah, yeah. but, you know, i think you know what you know, and you know, i'll be interested to see what they say when they're 20 or 30. right now they take it in stride. the white house is a strange place to live, but it's surprisingly pleasant because the the people who work there really care about every single family that comes. they're good with kids, and they try to adapt to their i had sink sees and create a sense of normalcy. that's what they feel.

it's like living in a big hotel with a whole bunch of fun people you can work with. when the doors close, it's like home. >> larry: do they have plate dates, kids come over? >> a friend just left the house because it's sni da snow day. they're getting stirred crazy and driving us nuts. had friends sleep over the night before last. they go over to other kids' homes. secret service is very accommodating and we try not to talk too much what they do. >> larry: you say you're going over to henry's house? >> the kids lead normal lives. >> larry: good to hear. some more issues and more about childhood obesity after this. i have asthma.

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>> larry: we're back with michelle obama. tomorrow night the vice president of the united states,

joe biden, will be here. still to come some moments tonight with bill cosby. not bad so far. >> one of my favorite people. >> larry: boets of them, right? don't want to leave joe out. >> joe and bill. >> larry: it is biggest problem is jobs. so many people out of work. his critics say your husband should be doing more, he promised more. how do you react? >> yes. until the unemployment numbers go down, i don't think my husband is satisfied. more is coming. a lot was saved with the stimulus, and again, it's hard to tell people who are hurting that things could have been worse if we hadn't done what we'd done. so, you know, there's no points in pointing back. there's a lot more to be done and he's not satisfied until the unemployment figures go down.

>> larry: it was so bitter, rather bitter in the campaign with hillary when they were going at each other. >> yeah. it seems so long ago. >> larry: how are they doing now together? >> they're great. hillary clinton is an amazing secretary of state. i mean, she would have been an amazing president. she was an amazing attorney. she's a phenomenal professional. and she's proven to be a tremendous asset in so many ways. so the relationship is strong. they share the same views in terms of international policy and approach. we're seeing the outcome of that on the international stage. i think, you know, we can say pretty clearly that the united states -- the view of this nation around the world has changed. people are enthusiastic about the potential things. things aren't perfect. we're still a nation fighting two wars, but when we travel

around the country, the excitement and the possibility are palpable. i think that's because of the president, but i think it's also because of our secretary of state. >> larry: how tough is it for you when a man or woman is lost in battle? >> it's the hardest thing, you know. i think one of the hardest things that the president said he had to do this year was to greet the caskets of fallen soldiers that evening to, you know, sit down with parents who have buried their child. when we went to ft. hood, meeting with the families of the survivors of that tragedy. i mean, you know -- >> larry: how do you train for that? >> you don't, you know. what helps me is that i see how strong they are. you know, just -- >> larry: they help you? >> they help me. that's one of the reasons why the issues of military families

is so important to me. maybe it's selfish because they give me strength. the same thing is true for the president. we look around and think of the minor irritations that go along with being the president. you think about the real sacrifice of our troops, and you want to make sure that they have the resources they need when they're in the battlefield and that they have the resources and support when they come home and that their families are well-taken care of. we have to work hard for that. that's not just a given. >> larry: we'll be back with the first lady right after this. for my arthritis, i use

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>> larry: we're back with michelle obama, fighting obesity. how about imagine problem of children. they have a certain self-image. this could heurt them to hear things like this, couldn't it? you tread water here. >> you have to continue to tread water. approaching this we have to look at it from a whole range of pillars, as we -- information to parents, improving school

lunches, improving accessibility and affordability, which means eliminating food deserts, areas in in country where there's no supermarket so families have access to food. the last important pillar is physical education, and that's one of the more important ones for me. if kids are able to raise their level of activity, it frees them up to not have to worry about, you know, every little thing that they eat because their activity level tends to be that of a normal kid. the president's fitness challenge is going to play an important troel to make sure it just doesn't focus on athleticism, can it has in the past. how many pushups or sit-ups you can do. not every kid is an athlete, but you don't have to be an athlete to be physically fit. you have to move. >> larry: what are you asking joe and martha citizen to do? a couple is watching tonight and

they have two kids at home. what are you asking them to do? >> first of all, be cognizant and be honest, look around and say, you know, are things where they should be. are my kids good and getting the level of physical activity, are they eating right? do they have the energy level? if the answers are no, talk to your pediatrician. get a real assessment of what's going on, and then work within t to structure solutions. they're pretty small. turn off the tv. eat dinner together as a family. there was a study that showed structure in children's lives, whether they're eating meals as a family on a regular basis, they have a regular bed time, all that structure really decreases the likelihood that a child will be obese. >> larry: you can make changes. >> can you tell down portion sizes. if you're not in a safe neighborhood, find ways to be more active with your kids.

it could be turning on the radio and dancing until you sweat for a half an hour. if you live on the top floor, walk up and down the stairs. walk to school, if you can. find those small ways as a family to -- >> larry: simple. >> that's what i would tell the average viewer. simple. it's not a whole scale things. >> larry: just a few days until valentine's, what do you expect roses and chocolate? >> i expect the moon, the stars and sun, honey. >> larry: what do you usually get? >> dinner and a gift of some sort. >> larry: are you going out for valentine's? it's a sunday. >> we might spend time at camp david, but i'm not sure yet. we haven't finalized the plans. >> larry: does he get a gift? >> a nice card. >> larry: thanks. the first lady of the united states, michelle obama, and her friend, bill cosby is next. more about childhood obesity and other things with mr. c right after this. ♪ check it out, gas prices blowing up sky high ♪

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the words overweight and obese, those words don't tell the full story, because this isn't about inches and pounds. it's not about how our kids look. it has nothing to do with that. it's about how our kids feel. it's about how they feel about themselves. it's about the impact that we're seeing that this issue is having on every aspect of their lives. >> larry: bill cosby is now with us, the co-author of "come on, people." he's here rebutting internet

rumors he died in an accident last night. he's here. arthur is a psychiatrist at the judge baker children's center and harvard medical school in boston. bill, let's establish it quickly he. you are alive! >> yes, i am. i have rebutted that. >> larry: okay. we just talked to michelle obama about childhood obesity. how serious a topic is this for you? >> it's very, very serious, because there's things happening in the school system i don't understand and i don't like. whatever happened to recess? okay, so you put the teachers' cars in the yard so the kids can't run around anymore. what else is left? if you have a three-story school, all you have to do is pretend that you have a track team. take time out, you walk the children down three flights, you walk them up three flights, you walk them down three flights, you walk them up three flights. you do that three times, and

then let's go back into the classroom twice a day. >> larry: doctor, you can get in on this, too. why would schools have non-healthy food programs? that seems contradictiary to th purpose of being at school? >> that's one of the problems. they serve poor food sometimes. some are doing better, and they aren't serving the right food. they get big portions. this is one of the big proposals in the initiative michelle obama is going, to go after the food in the schools, but also they have vending machines in the school filled with candy and sugary sodas, and something has to be done about that as well. one of the biggest problems in my mind is the intense marketing of food, high-fat food to children from a very early age before one. they're watching television, and they see all of these ads and

they're very sophisticated with this toys tied to it. you buy this hamburger at my place, and you get a he free toy. you go into the supermarket and there's children's cartoon characters all over packages and candy bars to attract them into eating high-fat foods. i think that's a serious problem in this whole initiative, and i think industry leaders in the food industry have to get together to really talk about turning that around in some way. not just worrying about the bottom line. >> larry: you write in the book, come on people it's simple advice. don't eat fast food all the time. eat fruits and vegetables and ooet a healthy breakfast. isn't is hard to convince people to make a change? isn't change the hardest thing? >> yeah, but if you love your child, if you understand and i think alvin will agree that basic illnesses, colds, things

wrong with different organs of the body, these things can be attributed to what you're eating. if you're eating the wrong food, if your diet is off, if your kid is having a soda and a bag of something salty, that all turns into a carb and turns into sugar. your pancreas is catching holy hell. it can't balance the insulin with all that sugar attacking it. >> larry: also mrs. obama mentioned, doctor, don't overlook the family dinner. you kind of forget that. running out, you do this and do that. families don't have dinner together anymore. >> that's true, because you have couples each with a job, if there's jobs available, but you have many more single mothers than ever before who are rushing around trying to keep things in order and frequently the quick

heest thing to do is get fast food or takeout and junk food and not prepare dinner and have a sit-down dinner because they're so very busy. if you have dinner and there's cooking going on, you prepare mea meals less cali loaded and children are less likely to be obese. it's important that the parents are role models. >> larry: we'll be right back, bill. how would it. read more about obesity and kids, go to our blog at cnn d cnn.com/larryking. ryan seacrest wrote an exclusive for us. right back with the coz and the doctor. don't go away. [ female announcer ] enjoy a complete seafood dinner for two

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we're back with the co-authors of "come on, people." bill cosby and dr. alvin poussaint. do you think it can work, bill? do you think the first lady and people like yourself? do you think we can change society? >> yes. if we fire the nutritionists that put the food out for the kids in the public schools. and if we get honest nutritionists, if we get honest

people who get the contracts to put the food in the cafeteria so that they are not skimming money off just getting cheap food. we need food that's nutritional. we need food that's just not for the mouth. you need food that children will like the taste of but there's nutrition coming into the body. >> larry: they're not going to change overnight. dr. poussaint, frankly, are you optimistic about this? >> well, i -- i think it's going to take a lot. and she's pulled together an enormous coalition of people and institutions to work on this problem. so it has the best chance of anything i've ever seen. but it's not likely to just take a generation. i think it's very hard to change people's food habits, what they eat, what they like to eat and that's going to be a stumbling block. but i think the fact of the effort is being made that, yes, maybe we'll all be very

surprised and the epidemic will really diminish in a very serious way. and children and the country will be much better off because of it. >> larry: bill, do kids in lower income neighborhoods have access to healthy, fresh foods? >> i don't know. i know they used to be a fedco, that was deliberately put in the lower economic neighborhoods to serve the people. maybe not, i don't know. >> no, they don't have many -- much fresh food in lower economic neighborhoods at all. that's one of the problems. and so people are trying to push fresh food markets in those neighborhoods as well as more supermarkets and grocery stores that sell produce because many of those neighborhoods don't have supermarkets, not to mention farm markets.

>> larry: what's a simple thing, bill? what would you tell someone watching right now? what can you do today with regard to making your family healthy? >> larry, what i would say -- >> larry: well, if you can't -- >> larry: one at a time. bill, you go first. >> go ahead. >> well, what i would say is, first of all, your children and their health. what you put in their mouth sooner or later is going to show up whether or not they're healthy or not. so if you're going to have things that just taste good and that people just put things fries and no balance and nutrition, then you're not helping your child. think about how much you love your child, how healthy you want your child to be. so on your way to work, you may stop off and pick up something. and teach your kid, negotiate with the kid. they love to be negotiated.

>> larry: dr. poussaint, what would you say? one thing to do? >> well, one thing to do that i think every parent can do is serve smaller portions to their children and have them have smaller portions if they go out to eat anywhere. that will make an enormous difference. because we have a phenomenon in america called the "clean plate club." we tell children, finish everything on your plate. children are starving in africa and asia and so on. and so sometimes -- >> larry: good idea. >> sometimes kids are pushed to eat a lot because their parents are pushing them to eat a lot because they think it's wrong to waste food. >> larry: the book is "come on, people." bill, how did you learn you were dead? >> i read about it on the internet. and i was very, very surprised. and so that's why i said to my wife, am i dead? and she said, yes. >> larry: thanks, guys. >> i was surprised too, bill, because your wife didnal