he number of overweight children and adolescents in the U.S. has doubled in the last 20 years.  Recent statistics show that 1 of every 4 children is overweight.  Many children are also out of shape.

What are the causes?  A combination of junk food, soft drinks, high-fat snacks, fast food, and inactivity are the causes.  Children spend an average of 38 hours a week watching television, playing video games, and listening to music.

Why should parents care?  Your child’s future depends on it!  Statistics show that overweight children usually grow up to be overweight adults with health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.  What can parents do?  To improve your children’s current and future health, parents must focus on both diet and exercise.

Make subtle changes in their diet.  The easiest way to change your children’s diet is to do a little at a time.  Gradually go from regular milk to 2% to 1% to skim.  Offer one cookie in their lunch instead of two or three.  Give them smaller servings of high-fat and high-calorie foods and offer healthy choices, such as fruit, whole grains, and vegetables.

Clean house.  Your children can’t snack on high-fat, high-sugar, low-nutrition snacks if you don’t have them at the house.  Replace unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks such as cereal bars, low-fat popcorn or pretzels, and fresh or dried fruit.  Limit your children’s intake of soft drinks, too. 

Be stingy about treats.  Don’t make any food totally off limits, because that can make children want it even more.  Instead, let them have treats, like candy bars, occasionally.  As tempting as it is, don’t use food as a reward.  Doing so can establish bad eating habits that will remain for life.

Keep it balanced.  Try to serve meals that meet daily nutrition requirements.  At the same time, don’t encourage or entice your children to “clean their plates.”  Doing so forces them to eat more than they may need.  For more information on balanced meals and nutrition, talk to your school nurse or visit the United States Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion at www.usda.gov/cnpp/.

Avoid dieting.  Skipping meals or putting your children on diets is highly discouraged by health and nutrition specialists.  Providing healthy, well-balanced meals and encouraging physical exercise are the best things you can do to improve your children’s health.

Get them moving and keep them active.  Set a limit on the number of hours your children are allowed to watch television, use the computer, and play video games each day.  Have them participate in some form of physical activity at least 3-4 times a week.  Take a walk together, go for a bike ride, ride a scooter, shoot hoops, jump rope, or dance.  Exercising doesn’t require participating in an organized sport.  If your children enjoy organized sports, try to have them participate year-round.  Don’t let them become couch potatoes!  Check your local park service or community center on what activities are offered.

Set goals and be an example.  Keep track of how much exercise your children get each week by marking it on the family calendar.  Consider linking success to their allowance or a bonus.  Show them you are just as committed.  Your health, as well as theirs, depends on it!