Put the whole family on the plan so the child is not singled out

Obesity means having too much body fat, which is different from being
overweight — weighing too much. Both mean a weight greater than is healthy for
a person's height.

**Children grow at different rates, so it is not always easy to know when a
child has obesity or is overweight.** That is the first honest thing to say
about it, and the practical consequence is straightforward: **ask your health
care provider to check whether your child's weight and height are in a healthy
range**, rather than judging by eye or by comparison with other children.

If a plan is needed, it is a family plan

**Involve the whole family in healthy habits so your child does not feel
singled out.**

That is the single most useful line here. A child put on a diet while the rest
of the household eats as before learns that they are the problem — and a child
cannot control the shopping, the cooking or the schedule in any case.

What the habits are

Eating

• Serve more fruits and vegetables
• Buy fewer soft drinks and high-fat, high-calorie snack foods
• Make sure your child eats breakfast every day
• Eat fast food less often
• Do not use food as a reward

Activity

Children need about 60 minutes a day. It **does not have to happen all at
once** — several short periods of activity through the day are just as good,
which matters for a child whose day is broken up by school anyway.

*Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
via MedlinePlus.*