As part of my new web series, The Role Model In You, here is my most recent interview. The Role Model In You series discusses how individuals were influenced as a child to lead a healthy lifestyle. It discusses who influenced these people, the changes they made in life to be healthy, and the message they would like to pass along to the youth of today. I hope you enjoy it!

1. Your name, title, and age? What do you do (or did you do) for a living?

Andrew Schrage, 26, co-owner of Money Crashers Personal Finance.

2. Who was the person that inspired you as a child to eat healthy and stay fit? What was their relationship to you?

My older brother inspired me as a child to eat healthy and stay fit. He was heavily involved in nutrition and fitness, and was an avid athlete. He played basketball and ice hockey for many years, and encouraged me to get involved in sports as well.

3. What did they do to inspire you?

He always included me in the pickup games he participated in, even though I was much younger. He encouraged me by taking me under his wing and including me in his active lifestyle.

4. How did their lesson change your life?

If I hadn’t had this guidance from my brother, I very well may have filled up the days of my childhood by playing video games, watching television, and other sedentary activities. The lessons I learned in my youth have stayed with me to this day. With a computer-based job that keeps me seated for long hours, it can be very easy to fall into an inactive lifestyle. But thanks to the lessons my older brother taught me at a young age, I’ve always focused on maintaining a healthy diet and an active exercise regimen.

5. Do you convey their message to kids in your life presently?

Although I don’t presently have children, I do have nieces and nephews. I see with them firsthand the tendency to want to sit in front of the TV all day, especially in this age of technology. However, they know that if they want to spend quality time with me, a good portion of it is going to be outdoors and involve physical activity.

6. What would be your main message to children today to lead healthy lifestyles?

The diet and exercise habits that you possess as a child are likely to stay with you for the rest of your life. Kids who grow up overweight are likely to stay that way in adulthood, and those who are active as children will continue to be active as adults. It is also important to realize that eating a healthy diet does not necessarily mean a boring or tasteless one. There are many healthy foods that taste good and aren’t loaded with fat, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium.

7. Do you have a web site you would like to promote….web address only?

Money Crashers Personal Finance – http://www.moneycrashers.com/