Most so-called reality shows are so contrived that I just can't be bothered to watch them. But a new show from the Learning Channel, "Honey, We're Killing the Kids," has such a promising premise, I may actually tune in when it debuts on April 10th.

Like so many TLC shows, the concept for this one is borrowed from the British; the BBC began running a series last year called "Honey We're Killing the Kids." As you can see, TLC has taken the title and added a comma. American innovation lives!

Both shows aim to shock parents and children alike through the use of computer-generated images showing parents how their little couch potatoes will look by age 40 if they don't shape up and eat right. It's not a pretty picture. The TLC show employs a nutritionist to work with the families to inspire better eating habits and encourage kids to get off the couch and go play.

It's about time someone took a look at the role parents play in their childrens' diet and exercise (or the lack thereof). I'm all for the movement to get fast food and soda out of our schools and offer more wholesome cafeteria food, but shouldn't parents share the responsibility for providing kids with healthier food choices and more physical activity?

Mike Huckabee, the formerly portly politician who slimmed down and shaped up after a diabetes diagnosis, told CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta:

"Good habits are more caught than taught...when the parents are active, kids tend to be more active. When parents aren't active and don't eat right, kids aren't going to either."

"We've got to remember that kids aren't drycleaning; you don't take them to school, drop them off in the morning, pick them up in the afternoon, and they're supposed to be well-fed, well-exercised, and well-educated. Parents have got to get their heads in this game, or we're gonna lose it."

I may disagree vehemently with the Arkansas Governor on nearly every issue under the sun, but I couldn't agree with him more on this one.

Will "Honey, We're Killing the Kids" really change any lives, though? One New Jersey family who participated in the show, the Kaukeanos, admitted to their local paper that they were horrified to discover, after keeping a food diary for two days, that their son Collin ate nothing but chips and cookies on one of those days.

"We were sick when we saw that video," said Von Kaukeano, Collin's father. TLC took away the Kaukeanos' 16 boxes of sugary cereals, introduced the family to salmon and soy milk, took Von shopping at Whole Foods, and coached the family to cook healthy meals for the camera.

The night after the filming wrapped, with no crew or cameras breathing down their necks, the Kaukeanos headed to Taconelli's Pizza in Philadelphia for dinner. " I ate a whole pepperoni myself," Von confessed.

There's reality tv, and then there's reality; rarely shall the twain meet.

Image: BBC 3 - Honey We're Killing The Kids