Manicured Stomach

I have heard it before. Whether you want to or not, you are destined to follow in the footsteps of your parents. I guess it was The Breakfast Club that said words similar to these. Anyway, most of my family is overweight, and on the verge of being hopelessly unmotivated. As my belly grows ever larger, due to lack of exercise and a diet that could be described as "deadly", how long before I reach that point of no return? When do I become my parents? Phone conversations with the 'rents generally begin w/ some type of health talk. 99% of the time, it is not good health talk. This and that hurts, this and that doesn't work. The doctor said this. My God, why can I not use this as a motivation to clean up my own health act? Is this what I have to look forward to if I don't change now? About 4 years ago, I stopped chewing my fingernails. It is a habit I have had since as long as I can remember. One day, I looked @ my ravaged, bloody digits, and decided I would stop...and I did! But how? Currently, I don't have the most well manicured fingers on earth, and I do catch myself with my index finger in my mouth, occasionally. But I have never gone back to the gnawing and chewing and tearing that I used to do. How? If I knew that secret, I could apply it to other desperately needed changes. I am fat, and seemingly getting fatter. I don't exercise and I don't eat right. Fingernails....Flab. Let's weigh these. Certainly they are a far cry from one another, but I was able to find the discipline to stop chewing my nails. No motivation and more weight gain. How do I break the cycle? Manicure my stomach?