Okay, does America really need another diet book? I started reading Lean Mom, Fit Family with a bit of an attitude, but soon found that the answer to that question was, “Yes.” Why? Because this diet book is really all about the family, and keeping mom, dad and the kiddies in tip top shape. With obesity rates in children reaching all-time highs, this six-week plan sounds like, well, the plan!

Author Michael Sena is one of the nation’s top fitness experts. He was named one of the one hundred best trainers in U.S. by Men’s Journal and is a founding member of Mayor Daley’s Fitness Council in Chicago. In collaboration with registered dietician Kirsten Straughan and exercise physiologist Tom Sattler, Sena presents a comprehensive diet and exercise plan for all members of the family, with specific tips and suggestions for each appropriate age group. Even better, he shows the whole family working out in the numerous black and white photos, giving kids and teenagers added incentive to pick up this book and put it to use.

The whole family can take the Fit Family quiz to determine their health level and track their progress, then get right into the nutrition plan and exercises that promise to kick start the metabolism. Everything is easy to follow, including snack ideas, recipes, daily meal plans, exercises and even activities the whole family can engage in together.

The six-week plan is not difficult or intimidating, focusing on the basics of good nutrition, moving the body and staying motivated. When the whole family is seeing the benefits of the program, it makes it easier to stick with these lifestyle changes for the long run. Sena’s plan is practical, workable, and makes sense in light of all the news stories we’re bombarded with about the rise in heart disease, diabetes and other diseases directly related to sedentary lifestyles and mass consumption of junk food.

Moms will especially benefit from all the tips designed and geared towards their special needs, but the whole family can use the six-week plan to improve health, well-being and physical appearance. And everyone knows that the family that eats and exercises together, stays together, and they stay healthier to boot.